The O Antiphons are said before the Magnificat at Vespers in the last seven days of Advent. Each antiphon is a name of Christ, one of his attributes mentioned in Scripture.

O Wschodzie,
Blasku światłości wieczystej
i Słońce sprawiedliwości,
przyjdź i oświeć
żyjących w mroku
i cieniu śmierci.

O Dawn,
splendor of eternal light,
and sun of justice,
come, and shine
on those seated in darkness,
and in the shadow of death.

So we sit in darkness waiting for something to happen to us, for the light to break through. We wallow in our self imposed agony, O God, when will you set us free?

We forget that He already set us free. We are free to choose Him, an easy choice if you consider the alternatives. We are free to enter into union with Him, every day at the altar; a great gift and blessing.

But still we sit and cry out, expecting the quick fix and the black and white answer. They will not come unless we open ourselves to what is already among us. What we need to do is allow the light of the new Dawn to shine in us, to set ourselves aside, and to work in truth, to struggle — fighting the good fight, and by doing so we will succeed — eternal life, eternal light.