A Time of Fulfillment

Anselm Grün, OSB, is a monk of the Benedictine abbey of Münsterschwarzach, Germany, where he has been cellarer since 1977. He is the author of many books, lectures, and courses on themes of spiritual life.

Contents
Preface   ix
          Part 1: Advent Season
          The Message of the O-Antiphons
The O-Antiphons   3
     Imagining Christ in Song   3
     A Weekly Ritual during Advent Season   7
First Week of Advent   14
     O Sapientia—O Wisdom   15
     O Adonai—O Lord   21
     Suggestions   25
Second Week of Advent   27
     O Radix Jesse—O Root of Jesse   28
     O Clavis David—O Key of David   33
     Suggestions   38
Third Week of Advent   41
     O Oriens—O Rising Dawn   42
     O Rex Gentium—O King of the Nations   46
     Suggestions   52 
Fourth Week of Advent   55
     O Emmanuel—O Emmanuel, God with Us   56
     Suggestions   60
Imagining the Reality of Christmas Within   62
          Part 2: Christmas Season
          Scriptural Interpretations of Christmas
God Becomes One of Us   67
Christmas and the Gospel of Matthew   70
     A New Creation in the Incarnation   70
     The Wisdom of a Successful Life   73
     God for All People   76
     Protection for the Divine Child within Us   80
     Light and Healing   82
Christmas and the Gospel of Luke   85
     The Angel’s Proclamation to Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25)   85
     The Angel’s Annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)   87
     The Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56)   89
     The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20)   92
     Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:21-39)   99
     The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple (Luke 1:40-52)   102
Christmas and the Gospel of John   106
     The Light Came into the World   106
     Heaven’s Ladder and the Marriage Feast at Cana   113
Christmas in the Letter to Titus   119
Christmas in the Letter to the Hebrews   124
The Inexhaustible Mystery of Christmas   128