O Oriens
℣ O Morning Star, Splendor of the Eternal Light and Sun of | justice: *
℟ Draw near and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them Light has shined (Isaiah 9,2). Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me (Isaiah 60,2). But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (Malachi 4,2).
Jesus is the Morning Star who shines down the Divine Light upon mankind. His Majestic Light drives away the darkness. His Light reveals the path of righteousness and salvation, a path that leads to the darkness of the cross, death and the grave, but also a path that leads from the tomb with the light of resurrection.
Cynewulf writes in his Anglo-Saxon poem of Christ:
Hail Morning Star, Brightest of angels Thou,
sent unto men upon this middle-earth,
Thou art the True Brilliance of the sun,
radiant above the stars, and from Thyself
illuminest forever all the tides of time!
And as Thou, God indeed begotten of God,
Thou Son of the True Father, wast from aye
without beginning in the heavens glory,
so now Thy handiwork in its sore need
prayeth Thee boldly, that Thou send to us
the Radiant Sun, and that Thou come Thyself
to enlighten those who for so long a time,
were wrapt around with darkness and here in gloom,
have sat the lifelong night; shrouded in sin
death’s dark shadow had they to endure.
Hopeful now we trust in the salvation
brought to the hosts of men through God’s own Word,
which was in the beginning co-eternal
with God, the Almighty Father and is now
flesh void of blemish, that the maiden bare
to help the wretched. God was seen ’mong us
in all His sinlessness; together they dwelt
the Creator’s Mighty Son and the Son of Man
in peace on earth wherefore as it is meet
we may well thank the Lord of Triumph aye,
that He vouchsafed to send to us Himself (Crist 104-129).
Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, the Morning Star, shine upon us with the light of Your grace and mercy, so that we may bask in the glory of Your righteousness that You have merited for us. Amen.
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