December 17, 2006

Tonight the O Antiphons begin.

I find them quite different from "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Not better; just different. It's the lack of the repeated refrain. But then, antiphons are not song lyrics; they are a response by the body, the people, the worshippers gathered, to the prayer or the plea.

And yes, Pastor Dan and I have the same resource. Tonight I note this bit in what Thomas Talley tells us:

That canon urges the constant presence of the faithful in the church, calling on them not to stay at home or run off to the country or the mountains during a period of twenty-one continuous days, beginning from December 17 and reaching to the Epiphany.

Over 1600 years ago, people still had to be urged to attend worship during December.

'Twas ever thus. Hymns like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" make it worth attending, though.