Our Morning Offering – 22 December – O Come, O come, Emmanuel

Our Morning Offering – 22 December – The Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A

O Come, O come, Emmanuel

O Come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high
And order all things far and nigh,
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain

O come, o come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did give the law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust Thy mighty power to save
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home,
Make safe the way that leads on high,
That we no more have cause to sigh.
Refrain

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the world with heaven’s peace.
Refrain

This ancient Advent hymn is based upon the seven Great “O” Antiphons, which are recited or sung before and after the Magnificat at Vespers (or Evening Prayer) from 17 – 23 December.

Music: T Helmore, 1811-1890 adapted from a 1st Mode Responsory in a 15th cent. French Processional.

Text: Veni, Veni Emmanuel, a para. of Latin 12th-13th cent.
“Great O Antiphons” in Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1770.