Chapter I: Advent - The O Antiphones: King of Nations

The Sixth of the Great O Antiphons

O King of the nations, and their desire,

the cornerstone making both one:

Come and save the human race,

which you fashioned from clay.

The original Latin:

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,

lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:

veni, et salva hominem,

quem de limo formasti.

For as the Prophet Isaiah wrote:

He will judge between the nations,
    and will decide concerning many peoples;
    and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,    neither shall they learn war any more. -Isaiah 2:4

How appropriate for this day on which we light the Candle of Love the Candle which shifts our attention away from our own desiring to God's desire for reunion with us. The only One who desire the peace of the nations and the destruction of Death more than us is the One Who made us and for Whom we are made. Nothing displays Satan's temporary victory more than the rage between nations and even thepetty quarrels  among individuals. The putting to rest of this conflict will herald his defeat...

O come King of the Nations!

The lyrics from O Come, O Come Emmanuel inspired by this O Antiphon:

O come, Desire of the nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid every strife and quarrel cease

and fill the world with heaven's peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel!