O ORIENS

 O RISING DAWN

O Rising Dawn, splendor of eternal Light and Son of Justice; come and illuminate those who sit in the darkness and the shadow of death.

After a long night, when dawn begins to break on the horizon, time is short before the actual light of day appears.  So it is as we move closer to Christmas, our O Antiphon is less wordy and more pointed in expressing its petition, one, which echoes the words in the Canticle of Zechariah, "In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,/ and to guide our feet into the way of peace."  (Lk 1: 78-79).

On this the "shortest day of the year" (of daylight), may we seek the light amidst the challenges we face daily from within and without to see more clearly how our behavior needs illumination so that we might be instruments of peace and justice, not of  harm.

Bro. Rene