A Service of Hope and Expectation

2. The Great 'O's
A Service of Hope and Expectation

The Advent Antiphons, sung originally as antiphons to the Magnificat at the Evening Office from 17 to 23 December, have provided a rich source of devotional imagery in Advent, and are well-known through the hymn, 'O come, O come, Emmanuel'.

While the Antiphons may be used in their traditional context as antiphons to the Magnificat at Evening Prayer, they may also be used as opening Sentences, or as an Advent Litany (see D.3b (p.130)). In this service they become the framework for a rite of expectation and preparation, appropriate for the second part of Advent.

This celebration looks not to the past but to the future, and its main emphasis is not on contrition for personal shortcoming, but on the proclamation of God's universal judgement.

At the Entrance , the Advent prose is sung:
Pour down, O heavens, from above;
And let the skies rain down righteousness.

Turn your fierce anger from us, O Lord;
and remember not our sins for ever.
Your holy cities have become a desert,
Zion a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation;
our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers* praised you.

* or forebears if preferred

Pour down, O heavens, from above;
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

We have sinned and become like one who is unclean;
we have all withered like a leaf,
and our iniquities like the wind have swept us away.
You have hidden your face from us;
and abandoned us to our iniquities.

Pour down, O heavens, from above;
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

You are my witnesses, says the Lord;
and my servant whom I have chosen;
that you may know me and believe me.
I myself am the Lord, and none but I can deliver;
what my hand holds, none can snatch away.

Pour down, O heavens, from above;
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

Comfort my people, comfort them;
my salvation shall not be delayed.
I have swept your offences away like a cloud;
fear not, for I will save you.
I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
your Redeemer.

Pour down, O heavens, from above;
and let the skies rain down righteousness.
The President welcomes the people.
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The Lord bless you.

There may follow an introduction or bidding, after which the President says:
THE COLLECT
Either this Collect following:

Almighty God,
before the judgement seat of whose Son,
the Lord Christ, we must all appear;
keep us steadfast and faithful in his service,
and enable us so to judge ourselves in this life,
that we may not be condemned on the day of his appearing;
for his tender mercies sake. Amen.

or The Collect for Advent Sunday (27, p.345)
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
Before each Reading, an 'O' Antiphon is said or sung; after each Reading a verse of the Hymn, 'O come, O come, Emmanuel' is sung by all.
O wisdom, coming forth from the Most High, filling all creation and reigning to the ends of the earth; come and teach us the way of truth.

If the Antiphon is spoken, then this response may be used by all:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

READING Ecclesiasticus 24.3-9

O come, thou wisdom from on high
Who madest all in earth and sky,
Creating man from dust and clay:
To us reveal salvation's way.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Lord of Lords, and ruler of the House of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and gave him the law on Sinai: come with your outstretched arm and ransom us.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

READING Exodus 3.1-6

O come, O come, Adonai,
who in thy glorious majesty
from Sinai's mountain, clothed in awe,
gavest thy folk the ancient law.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the nations; kings will keep silence before you for whom the nations long; come and save us and delay no longer.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

READING Isaiah 11.1-4a

O come, thou root of Jesse! Draw
the quarry from the lion's claw;
from those dread caverns of the grave,
from nether hell thy people save.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open: come and free the captives from prison, and break down the walls of death.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

READING Isaiah 22.21-23

O come, thou Lord of David's key!
The royal door fling wide and free;
safeguard for us the heavenward road,
and bar the way to death's abode.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O morning star, splendour of the light eternal and bright sun of righteousness: come and bring light to those who dwell in darkness and walk in the shadow of death.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

READING Numbers 24.15b-17

O come, O come, thou dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
dispel the long night's lingering gloom,
and pierce the shadows of the tomb.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O king of the nations, you alone can fulfil their desires: cornerstone, binding all together: come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust of the earth.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

READING Jeremiah 30.7-11a

O come, desire of nations! Show
thy kingly reign on earth below;
thou cornerstone, uniting all,
restore the ruin of our fall.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, hope of the nations and their saviour: come and save us, O Lord our God.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Stand

THE GOSPEL READING Matthew 1.18-23

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to Christ our Saviour.

At the end the reader says

This is the Gospel of Christ
Praise to Christ our Lord.

O come, o come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
that into exile drear is gone
far from the face of God's dear Son.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
An ADDRESS may be given.
THE CELEBRATION OF PENITENCE AND RECONCILIATION

The Act of Penitence and Reconciliation has four parts: (1) Examination of conscience, (2) Prayer for God's mercy, (3) Act of penitence and contrition, (4) Declaration of absolution. They may take the following forms or be drawn from Appendix B.

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
A minister leads the examination of conscience, concluding each section with

Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.

Lord, have mercy.
(Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.)

During the examination of conscience psalms, canticles or hymns of penitence may be sung.
PRAYER FOR GOD'S MERCY
At the end of the examination of conscience may be said

Holy God
Holy and mighty,
Holy and immortal
have mercy on us.

Have mercy on your servants, Lord.
Have mercy on us, Lord, in your kingdom
and grant us your salvation,
now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
ACT OF PENITENCE AND CONTRITION
Almighty God,
long-suffering and of great goodness:
I confess to you, with my whole heart
my neglect and forgetfulness of your Commandments,
my wrong doing, thinking and speaking;
the hurts I have done to others;
and the good I have left undone.
O God, forgive me for I have sinned against you;
and raise me to newness of life:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ACT OF ABSOLUTION

The President stands, and says with outstretched arms

God, the Father of mercies,
has reconciled the world to himself
through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ,
not counting our trespasses against us,
but sending his Holy Spirit
to shed abroad his love among us.
By the ministry of reconciliation
entrusted by Christ to his Church,
receive his pardon and peace
to stand before him in his strength alone,
this day and evermore. Amen.

Let us pray for the coming of the kingdom, saying

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen. or Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

THE CONCLUSION

The President says this prayer of thanksgiving
Lord our God,
on the first day of creation
you made the light that scatters all darkness.
Let Christ, the light of lights,
hidden from all eternity,
shine at last on your people
and free us from the darkness of sin.
Fill our lives with good works
as we go out to meet your Son,
so that we may rejoice to welcome him at his coming.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

A HYMN or SONG of thanksgiving may be sung.
THE DISMISSAL
The President blesses the people.

May God the Father, Judge all merciful,
make us worthy of a place in his kingdom. Amen.

May God the Son, coming among us in power,
reveal in our midst the promise of his glory. Amen.

May God the Holy Spirit make us steadfast in faith,
joyful in hope and constant in love; Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

Minister Go in the peace of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

3. Appendix to Penitential Rites

A. SONGS

1 THE ADVENT PROSE

Pour down, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

Turn your fierce anger from us, O Lord;
and remember not our sins for ever.
Your holy cities have become a desert,
Zion a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation;
our holy and beautiful house,
where our fathers* praised you.

* or forebears if preferred

Pour down, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

We have sinned and become like one who is unclean;
we have all withered like a leaf,
and our iniquities like the wind have swept us away.
You have hidden your face from us;
and abandoned us to our iniquities.

Pour down, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know me and believe me.
I myself am the Lord, and none but I can deliver;
what my hand holds none can snatch away.

Pour down, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

Comfort my people, comfort them;
my salvation shall not be delayed.
I have swept your offences away like a cloud;
Fear not, for I will save you.
I am the Lord your God; the Holy One of Israel, your redeemer.

Pour down, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness.

2 DIES IRAE

This hymn is particularly suitable for use as an office hymn during the week or weeks before Advent. If so used at Morning and Evening Prayer it may be divided into two parts: verses 1-8 and 9-18. If used also at Night Prayer it may be divided into three parts: verses 1-6, 7-12 and 13-18. An alternative version it to be found in AMR (no.466)

Day of wrath and doom impending,
David's word with Sibyl's blending!*
Heaven and earth in ashes ending!
O what fear man's bosom rendeth,
When from heaven the Judge descendeth,
On whose sentence all dependeth!
Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth,
Through earth's sepulchres it ringeth,
All before the throne it bringeth.
Death is struck, and nature quaking,
All creation is awaking,
To its Judge an answer making.
Lo! the book exactly worded,
Wherein all hath been recorded;
Thence shall judgement be awarded.
When the Judge his seat attaineth,
And each hidden deed arraigneth,
Nothing unavenged remaineth.
What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
When the just are mercy needing?
King of majesty tremendous,
Who dost free salvation send us!
Fount of pity, then befriend us!
Think, kind Jesus! - my salvation
Caused thy wondrous incarnation;
Leave me not to reprobation.
Faint and weary thou hast sought me,
On the Cross of suffering bought me;
Shall such grace be vainly brought me?
Righteous Judge! for sin's pollution
Grant thy gift of absolution,
Ere that day of retribution.
Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
All my shame with anguish owning;
Spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning!
Through the sinful woman shriven,
Through the dying thief forgiven,
Thou to me a hope hast given.
Worthless are my prayers and sighing,
Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
Rescue me from night undying.
With thy sheep a place provide me,
From the goats afar divide me,
To thy right hand do thou guide me.
When the wicked are confounded,
Doomed to shame and woe unbounded,
Call me, with thy Saints surrounded.
Low I kneel, with heart's submission;
See, like ashes my contrition!
Help me in my last condition!
Ah! that day of tears and mourning!
From the dust of earth returning,
Man for judgement must prepare him;
Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!

*Note: The reference in verse 1 to the Sibyl,
the oracular voice of the pagan classical world,
indicates the universal expectation of a Day
of Judgement at the end of all things.

That day of wrath, that dreadful day,
when heaven and earth shall pass away,
what power shall be the sinner's stay?
How shall he meet that dreadful day?
When, shrivelling like a parched scroll,
the flaming heavens together roll;
when louder yet, and yet more dread,
swells the high trump that wakes the dead:
Though on that day, that wrathful day,
when man to judgement wakes from clay,
be thou, O Christ, the sinner's stay,
though heaven and earth shall pass away.
Sir Walter Scott

Hear'st thou, my soul, what serious things
Both the Psalm and Sibyl sings
Of a sure Judge, from whose sharp ray
The world in flames shall fly away?
O that Trump, whose blast shall run
An even round with the circling sun,
and urge the murmuring graves to bring
Pale mankind forth to meet his King!
Shall all that labour, all that cost
Of love, and even that loss, be lost;
And this loved soul, judged worth no less
Than all that way and weariness?
Those mercies which thy Mary found,
And who thy Cross confessed and crowned,
Hope tells my heart, the same loves be
Still alive, and still for me.
Though both my prayers and tears combine,
Both worthless are, for they are mine;
But thou thy bounteous self still be,
and show thou art, by saving me.
Richard Crashaw