21st December 2025 - O Rising Sun

As we continue our reflections on the O Antiphons, I’d like to read a quotation from a commentary ‘Year of Grace’: “Not sacred history but nature inspires today’s antiphon. The sun as a symbol of Christ is one of the finest figures in Sacred Scripture and the liturgy. He is the Rising Sun. We find this expression: ‘Rising Sun’ in the Benedictus which we say every morning at Lauds: Oriens ex Alto enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. From the sun in the sky come light and life; from Christ, the Divine Sun, likewise come light and life.

Jesus calls Himself the Light of the world. The sun gives light, life, warmth, joy and health. Now, imagine a place where the sun’s rays do not penetrate, a dark cellar for example, wet with rottenness, darkness and death. Then apply proper deductions - spiritually.”

This reminds me of the vision St Teresa of Avila had. People sitting in dark damp cells. There were no doors on the cells. They were free to leave but instead, they refused and sat with their backs to the doorway. So many people are suffering in their own personal darkness in some way or other and do not know that the Lord is reaching out to them. He desires to grant us healing, light and life but we must take steps and surrender all to Him.

Jesus reminds us that the one who follows Him can never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (cf Jn 8:12)  As there is only one sun to light the world physically, so Jesus was asserting that He is the only light for the world, spiritually. Without Him every soul is wrapped in darkness. As dust in a room cannot be seen until the light is let in, so no one can know oneself until the light shows us our true condition.

In the Gospel at Mass, given for the 21st of December, Mary runs to help her cousin Elizabeth as she is about to give birth. Pope Benedict comments on this - he says: ‘To reach Jesus, the true light, the sun that dispels all the darkness of history, we need light near us, human people who reflect Christ’s light and thus illuminate the path to take. And what person is more luminous than our Blessed Lady’. Both Elizabeth and her baby in the womb experienced this light, so much so, that the baby leaped for joy.

As our Advent journey in this year of hope is coming to an end and Christmas is       approaching I would like to finish with a verse from one of my favourite hymns we sing in our Advent liturgy: