O dawn of the East, brightness of light eternal, and Sun of Justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen. Faith happens in the East – no question. Encountering God in the East is as unsettling as it is revealing. The Eastern context is utterly unlike my…

O key of David, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, who opens and no o­ne shuts, who shuts and no o­ne opens: come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death. Amen.Opening the prisons and setting free the captives – our God is…

O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not. Amen.The antiphon for the Radical. Getting to the root of the matter is the central theme of the day. O­nly when we…

O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law o­n Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms. Amen.The same o­ne who is known as Lord, flickers in an unsteady fire – a fire extinguished neither by our own…

O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence. I intended at o­ne point to put some kind of Advent calendar o­n my blog, or o­n the church website, but somehow that did…