The O Antiphon for today is the first verse of the hymn, “O come, O come Emmanuel, ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.” How can we apply this verse to our time? What does Emmanuel need to ransom from our lives? What holds us captive? Are we exiled? Our mourning, we are told, is nearly at an end. Come, Lord Jesus!