O Emmanuel — God with Us

O Emmanuel is the O Antiphon sung before the Magnificat at Evening Prayer on December 23 — in 2026, Wednesday, December 23. It is antiphon 7 of seven.

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

Our translationO Emmanuel, our King and lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Savior: come and save us, O Lord our God.

A reflection

The last antiphon finally says the name: God with us. Every title before it — Wisdom, Lord, Root, Key, Dawn, King — gathers into a person who is about to be born. Read the seven first letters backwards and they spell ERO CRAS: “tomorrow I will be there.”

Where the words come from

Every phrase of the antiphon is drawn from Scripture. These are the main sources, quoted from the World English Bible:

Isaiah 7:14 (WEB)Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 33:22 (WEB)For the LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD is our king. He will save us.

Matthew 1:23 (WEB)“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”

In the hymn

The verse of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861) that paraphrases this antiphon:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

How to pray it

At Evening Prayer it frames the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55), said before and after it. At home, say it at the Advent wreath before dinner, then sing the matching verse of the hymn. At Mass it is the Gospel acclamation for the day.

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O Emmanuel: questions

What does O Emmanuel mean?

God with Us. It is the O Antiphon for December 23: O Emmanuel, our King and lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Savior: come and save us, O Lord our God.

When is O Emmanuel prayed in 2026?

On Wednesday, December 23, 2026, as the antiphon before the Magnificat at Evening Prayer.

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