O King of the All Nations, Come!

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
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​Throughout the ages, the Divine Author has woven together history and culture into an enriching and fascinating tapestry that, when studied, shows the Love of our Good God.
One can see the ways in which Fallen Man expressed his yearning for His Maker, and that same Providential God’s ordering of human events in such a way as best served His one aim: Man’s salvation. One sees as well as the lengths He will go to, to show Himself a Loving Lord—coming to us in the manner in which we—as individuals and as a whole—will be most impacted by His Presence.

In studying God’s Divine Providence and His manifestation through ancient History, one finds the values of a number of different peoples and nations. For the colossal Persian Empire, one finds the seemingly omnipresence of The King of Persia as the measure of all things. The Greeks looked instead to man, in an idealized form, as their ultimate maxim. The Romans looked to the law as the object of their veneration, while the Jews, God’s Chosen People, looked to God Himself.

​In the “O Antiphons” of the Christmas Novena, we hear of Our Infant Lord under many titles including: “King of Nations”, “Adonai”, and, of course, the beloved “Emmanuel”. To this world of many nations and ideals, Our Lord came as the King of Kings above any Emperor, Perfect Man, Law Giver and indeed the law itself in flesh. Emmanuel, “God with us”, comes truly as the long-expected of all nations, answering the hunger of every people for the perfect fulfillment of their highest desire.

In the “O Antiphons” of the Christmas Novena, we hear of Our Infant Lord under many titles including: “King of Nations”, “Adonai”, and, of course, the beloved “Emmanuel”. To this world of many nations and ideals, Our Lord came as the King of Kings above any Emperor, Perfect Man, Law Giver and indeed the law itself in flesh. Emmanuel, “God with us”, comes truly as the long-expected of all nations, answering the hunger of every people for the perfect fulfillment of their highest desires.

The Infant King comes to rule over peoples of every race and nation and tongue, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. But He does not stand alone as He rules, for next to Him stands the Queen of Heaven and earth – His Mother and ours. Eagerly she awaits to see the face of her King.

Behold the throne awaits, but a throne unlike one ascended by any earthly king. The creche is bare, the stable swings open its doors, the animals await their Creator, Bethlehem anticipates the True Bread of Heaven. With all creation we unite in one final cry, “Veni, Veni Emannuel! Come o God and be with us! Our Salvation, come!