Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Today’s “O Antiphon” is O Rex Gentium, “O King of the nations.” This is the seventh verse of the 9th century hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel: O come, Desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of humankind; O bid our sad divisions cease, and be for us our King of Peace.”
In today’s late Advent scriptures, Samuel, who will serve God as the last judge and the first prophet of Israel, is faithfully offered up to YHWH by his mother Hannah. Samuel’s life is to be dedicated to the Holy One of Israel. What equivalent do we have in our Christian tradition for the generous response of Hannah to God’s mercy, she who offers her son to the Lord? We have baptism, the gateway to Christian life and to all the sacraments, when the name of Christ and his cross are indelibly marked upon us. It is a mark that cannot be erased anymore than Hannah’s pledge to the Holy One of Israel could be erased. At baptism we are yoked to Christ and he to us in a bond that can never be broken or dissolved. What better person to be bound to forever than the King of the nations, the King of peace?
But this truth brings hard questions. Do we treat those who come into our lives in such a way as to show that we believe this? Do we live the words of today’s O Antiphon and beautiful verse from “O come, O come Emmanuel”? Do we bid our sad divisions cease? Is Christ for us our King of peace?
Ever closer to Christmas, let us petition divine grace as we wait in joyful hope for the King of the nations, our Rex Gentium? His arrival is imminent and his coming is sure.
-Timothy J. Cronin