I will be there tomorrow

It’s nearly that time of year again, whether we are ready or not. As we approach Thanksgiving, we will begin to hear Christmas Carols on the radio, in the malls, and in the various stores. One of those songs we will hear is some version of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I want to give a little background on this old favorite, and share what might be a little-known interesting fact about its background.

The song is based on a very old custom in the Church, going back at least to the seventh or eighth century. These are the O Antiphons, and are rooted in the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, in the Prophetic and Wisdom books. They are found in the Liturgy of the Hours, or Breviary, which clerics and some religious orders, and some lay people use for daily prayer. As antiphons, they are short prayers meant to be recited before and after the Magnificat, the great prayer of Mary. The O Antiphons appear in the evening prayer of the church beginning on December 17, which is seven days before the Vigil of Christmas (December 24). The seventh and last antiphon is used the evening of December 23^rd. They are called the “O Antiphons” because they all begin with the letter-word “O” and they address Jesus by one of his Old Testament titles. They are fervent prayers asking the Messiah to come again.

Here is the interesting fact about these short prayers: It is not apparent in English, but can be seen clearly in the official language of the church, Latin. Let’s look at the translations of each of the Latin titles. Sapentia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix (Root), Clavis (Key), Oriens (Dawn), Rex (King), and Emmanuel (God is with us). If we take the first letter of each of the Latin titles, and write them backwards, we have the Latin phrase, “Ero cras”. This, traditionally, is the answer which Jesus gives to the prayers expressed in the seven antiphons. He answers the faithful telling us “Ero cras,” or I shall be there tomorrow.

The song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel is simply a slightly modified sung version of the seven antiphons. When we sing this prayer each Advent season, we are echoing a set of ancient prayers of the Church, asking the Messiah to come soon. Let’s keep his reply in our hearts, “Ero Cras”.