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Christ Emmanuel and Christ Emmanuel Lamb of God

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Christ Emmanuel and Christ Emmanuel Lamb of God

Christ Emmanuel and Christ Emmanuel Lamb of God
Today begin the O Antiphons found in the beautiful, haunting, Advent hymn:
"O Come O Come Emmanuel!"
There are two versions of this song, (I am most fond of) which are very different; one is truly stark and thus fitting for waiting in the Dark Night for the Light of the World, it is from Joan Baez 1966 Christmas album "Noel" arranged and conducted by Peter Shickele. The other by Robert Shaw Chorale and the Atlanta Symphony, I think originally recorded in the 1950's, starts off very soft, prayerful, quiet ...by the end the chorus is so full and literally begging, nearly shouting for Emmanuel to come, and us to loudly rejoice with the chorale.... It vibrates all through you, as it should. So many comments about this album say it is the best version of this hymn. When I began to paint (write) icons, my Dad used to kid me about the "homely, ugly babies "it took him awhile to warm up to the way icons present the infant and young Christ. The first one you see here was my fourth icon and I found this in a Russian Icon book my teacher, Brother Robert Lentz, OFM, gave me as a gift. I fell in love with the Buddha-like, large head of the Child which spoke to me of Holy Wisdom. And though I love this icon very much, no one has ever ordered a copy. The other icon you see here was to be a gift to my Dad , Stephen L.R. McNichols 1914-1997.
In November 1997 while Dad was in his last days I decided to copy Simon Ushakov's masterpiece of Christ Emmanuel, which because of his curly hair I titled Cordero de Dios or Lamb of God. Dad died on November 25 that year and did not get to see his icon, but I finished it, silently weeping on the Child, after his funeral . In his obituary, there are many things said about him as Governor of Colorado, which for me, do radically challenge me and all of us today, and also point to the ongoing creation of the true and only - Kingdom of God:
"He left his stamp on much of what is best about today's Colorado ... He had a lifelong commitment to the disadvantaged and distressed ... pushed much -needed new resources into the states institutions of higher education and reformed the shocking conditions that then prevailed in Colorado's mental institutions and prisons ... He combined his dedication to the underdog with the courage to stake his all on what he believed was right. Each of the other governors elected to succeed him has exceeded his longevity in office; none has exceeded his accomplishments."
From the Denver Post November 26, 1997
******
Here now are the O Antiphons listed for each day until Christmas Eve 🎄
Dec 17 : O Sapientia : O Wisdom
Dec 18: O Adonai : O Lord
Dec 19: O Radix Jesse : O Root of Jesse
Dec 20: O Clavis David : O Key of David
Dec 21: O Oriens : O Radiant Dawn or Morning Star
Dec 22: O Rex Gentium : O King (Desire) of All Nations
Dec 23: O Emmanuel : O God With Us
Please have a most blessed last week of Advent and into the Christmas Season
Fr Bill McNichols
Dec 17 (happy 80th birthday Pope Francis!) 2016