Day Springs Eternal

One of the O Antiphons during Advent celebrates the oriens, or eastern dawn, coming dayspring. On Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year, we pray, “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

Dayspring is another way of saying dawn. It is the first light. Isaiah prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). Then at the birth of John Zechariah prophesied, “And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:76-79).

In an age of electric lights everywhere, it’s difficult to remember the power of light in darkness. It is vision; it is warmth; it is growth. Light means life and renewal.

Regardless of Jesus’ actual birthdate, we celebrate the Light of the World’s arrival at the darkest time of year, because the darkness reminds of the power of light. Even the faint, yellow glow of a winter sunrise illuminates the sky and ushers in the day. As the days grow shorter, we light candles and hang lights. We long for light, for hope, in a darkening world.

And Jesus is that light. He is the dawn, the dayspring, that casts back the darkness and brings warmth and life. 

O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

Vigilant and Joyful

Advent means coming. It is a season of anticipation and waiting. It points to the future. Regardless of what your life or the world looks like in the present, Advent urges you to look up, look beyond. There is a coming light, a brighter future.

Advent is two-fold in that we are anticipating both for the celebration of the birth of Christ and waiting for His second coming. In the same way, our duty during Advent is two-fold. We are called to be both vigilant and joyful. We must be vigilant, ready to greet the Lord. Like the virgins with oil in their lamps, we must live our lives always prepared for Christ’s arrival. It is not something to schedule in amongst all your other plans and activities; it is the way you live.

But it is not a fearful vigilance. We are also called to be joyful. The Lord has come to us and will come again. Good will conquer evil. Life will conquer death. There is a light in the darkness. There is hope.

Monday Motivation: I Believe

The church choir sang performed this yesterday. Beautiful and poignant. 

The lyrics supposedly come from a poem written on the wall of cellar by a Jew in Cologne during World War II.