O Antiphon for December 22 -- Desire of Nations

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust. (Antiphon for Evening Prayer of December 22)

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind'
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the world with heaven's peace. (Verse for December 22 from O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)

 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22)

The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ (Luke 1: 30-33)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ (Mark 15: 16-18)

What does every nation desire? Peace. What does every human heart desire? Peace. Imagine a world where every human being was at peace with oneself; then every nation would be a peace with one another as well. The disordered stirrings of the human heart lead to disagreements, factions, and war. Peace in the heart can only lead to love, forgiveness, and justice. 

Christ is the Keystone of the arch of man; He holds humanity intact by giving it the model of who humanity should be. If the keystone (cornerstone) is removed, the entire structure weakens and will eventually collapse. No human being, no ideology, no nation can be the cornerstone (keystone) of humanity. No human being, no ideology, no nation can know and meet the needs of every individual. 

Only God can fulfill the Desire of every nation, only God be King of the universe.The King of all creation cannot be part of that creation; the King must be the One Who created it. In the King is the power of creation, the full knowledge of every aspect of creation, and the wisdom to know what is best for the future of creation. To find fulfillment, all creation must look to the Creator Who alone is the Keystone of it all.

Lord, God, Desire of every nation, Desire of my heart, let peace begin with me, in my heart and soul. I give to You every bitter feeling, every hurt, question, betrayal, violence I have suffered and ask You to redeem it all for me, to cleanse me of all that lingers to hold me back from fully loving, fully living. How can I fear to approach a Baby Who coos at me? Open me to You, Lord, and give me Your peace. Amen.