O Emmanuel

Two days till Christmas! At Vespers to-night, the last, most explicit, and greatest of the O Antiphons will be sung: O Emmanuel - for God-with-us is about to appear, our King and Lawgiver, the Expectation and Saviour of the Nations, He Who Is, the Lord our God, Who alone can save us. To-morrow is the Vigil of Christmas, and by Vespertide we will be already rejoicing in His saving Birth.

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, Expectation of the Nations, and their Saviour: come to save us, Lord our God.

Sources:

• …et vocabitur nomen ejus Emmanuel. (Is 7:14c)

• Dominus enim judex noster, Dominus legifer noster, Dominus rex noster, ipse salvabit nos. (Is 33:22)

• …donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse erit expectatio gentium. (Gen 49:10b)

• …ego Dominus Deus vester… (Ezech 20:5b,7b,19a,20b; 34:31c) 

• Qui enim conversus est, non per hoc quod videbat sanabatur, sed per te, omnium salvatorem. (Sap 16:7)

• …salvator mundi… (Jn 4:42 et passim, esp. in N.T.)