Songs for the Season…”O Come Divine Messiah”

[sr.christinaosf]

From OUR FRANCISCAN FIAT   DECEMBER 2, 2015 

Advent is such a beautiful time, so rich with touching hymns, prayers, and readings, which call us to look forward and prepare for Jesus’ coming.

It is a shame, it seems to me, that our society is unable, or unwilling, to wait.  We start hearing Christmas music before the Advent season even begins.  On the other hand, I love some of the hymns we sing at Advent.  It’s too bad we only have four weeks or less to use them.

Though “O Come O Come Emmanuel” will always have a special place in my heart (and the First Sunday of Advent just wouldn’t be complete without its use in the liturgy), I’d like to focus this article an another favorite of mine: “O Come Divine Messiah.”

I had guessed it to be a more contemporary hymn and was surprised this morning to learn that it is actually a 16th century French carol.  Over one hundred years later, Abbé Simon J. Pellegrin gave it its French lyrics.  Then, in 1877, it was translated into English by Sister Mary of St. Philip, SND, who was one of the first English members of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Liverpool, England, according to one source on seasonal hymns.

If you find time, I would encourage you to look over the lyrics below.  They could be a rich source for reflection and meditation this Advent season and serve as a beautiful, touching, and inspiring alternative to “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” or “Frosty the Snowman.”

 

O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.

Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.

O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.

O Christ, whom nations sigh for,
Whom priest and prophet long foretold,
Come break the captive fetters; 
Redeem the long-lost fold.

Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.

O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.

You come in peace and meekness,
And lowly will your cradle be;
All clothed in human weakness
Shall we your Godhead see.

Dear Savior haste;
Come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.

O come, divine Messiah!
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.

[dominicansoul]

Thanks for posting this.  It took me back to my convent days.  For some reason the church's traditions for Advent/Christmas season as they were observed in the convent were very familiar to me---it felt as if I had practiced those traditions all my life!  (I think many Catholics, myself included, do tend to rush the season and jump right into Christmas, so this was a refreshing surprise to me how the convent practiced the advent season.  I had not even heard of the "O" Antiphons until the convent!)  So, reading these lyrics and listening to the hymn on youtube brought back emotions and memories.  I miss it...

 

[NadaTeTurbe]

I like this hymn, too. The lyrics are very different in french and in english. In French it's something like this : I heard there's two versions of the lyrics. One is the traditionnal, and one was re-written after Vatican II. 

However, I have never heard it used for advent  Only for christmas. We have normal song for Advent... Sometimes a song about St John the Baptist, but never something about waiting for Jesus