The tree was cut, tied to the car roof and gingerly driven home; it will go up in a couple of days when the young adults around here can carve from their schedules an evening when they are all at home. The shopping is winding down to a conclusion. Haven't started Christmas cards yet, nor dug up the holiday recipes.
The pink candle is lit, and the outdoor lights were switched on tonight, as is our custom. Also, starting tonight it is "legal" around here to play Christmas music on the CD player. Naturally, the kids have been cheating for the last two weeks with their MP3 players.
And I'm cheating too--looking ahead at all the antiphons for the 3rd Sunday of advent before I pray the hours, like a little kid who sneaks over to the Advent calendar and opens a bunch of little doors ahead of time, simply unable to wait to see what is behind them.
It's fun (instructive? edifying? ) to read through an entire day's antiphons sometimes, and see how they all hang together. This time it's a glorious conversation of sorts. The prophets tell us some exciting things, the Lord Himself chimes in a couple of times, and we little kids respond: hurry up, let's get ready--Lord, we can't wait, come right away! Plus there's bit's of Handel's Messiah playing in the background. Here they all are, to save you flipping around in your book:
Rejoice, Jerusalem, let your joy overflow; your Savior will come to you.
I, the Lord, am coming to save you; already I am near; soon I will free you from your sins.
Lord, send the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the rock in the desert to the mountains of the daughter of Zion.
There was no god before me and after me there will be none; every knee shall bend in worship, and every tongue shall praise me.
This is our heavenly King; he comes with power and might to save the nations.
Daughter of Jerusalem, rejoice and be glad; your King will come to you. Zion, do not fear; your Savior hastens on his way.
Let us cleanse our hearts for the coming of our great King, that we may be ready to welcome him; he is coming and will not delay.
The Lord is coming without delay. He will reveal things kept hidden and show himself to all mankind.
Mountains and hills shall be level, crooked paths straight, rough ways smooth. Come,Lord, do not delay.
I shall enfold Zion with my salvation and shed my glory around Jerusalem.
Our Lord will come to claim his glorious throne in the assembly of the princes.
Let the mountains break out with joy and the hills with answering gladness, for the world's true light, the Lord, comes with power and might.
Let us live in holiness and love as we patiently await our blessed hope, the coming of our Savior.
Are you the One whose coming was foretold, or should we look for another? Tell John what you see: the blind have their sight restored, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the good news preached to them.
A joyous week 3 to you all!
