Beginning tomorrow evening, the Church starts reciting the “O Antiphons,” a wonderful collection of brief yet poignant prayers that express the intense yearning of God people for HIs coming. These aspirations have been sung by the Church since the 6thcentury.
They are used in two ways in the Church’s liturgy, from December 17 to December 23. First, they are used as the acclamation before the Gospel at each day’s Mass. They are also used as the antiphons sung before the Magnificat at Vespers, the Church’s evening prayer.
They are called the “O Antiphons” because each begins with the interjection “O,” expressing a mounting crescendo of intense desire. They have the same structure: an invocation to the coming Lord, expressed by a different title each day, followed by a few words that develop that title, then a petition that is introduced by the emphatic veni, “come,” and finally a plea for redemption. Each O Antiphon embodies the call of the entire Church to Christ as the darkness of Advent gives way to the light of Christmas.
Each of the seven O Antiphons embody a definite progression of thought. The first, “O Wisdom,” pictures uncreated Wisdom at the creation and ordering of the world. The next three portray the longed for Messiah in different Old Testament roles. Next we call upon Christ as the rising sun, expressing our conviction that His daw is coming nearer. He comes as the King of all the nations. Finally He is addressed as Emmanuel, “God with us.”
Two interesting notes. The first, is the familiar Advent hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuelis based on these beautiful antiphons. The second, I just learned myself; if you take the first letter of the different titles in Latin, in reverse order, you get the Latin phrase, “Ero cras,” which is translated “Tomorrow I will be there.” Some people have interpreted this as Jesus’ response to each cry of the faithful to “Come!” Here are the O Antiphons, may they bare fruitful meditations as we come closer to Christmas.
December 17: O Sapientia, O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care; Come and show your people the way to salvation.
December 18: O Adonai, O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.
December 19: O Radix Jesse, O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.
December 20: O Clavis David, O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, and lead your captive people into freedom.
December 21: O Oriens, O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice; Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
December 22: O Rex Gentium, 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.
December 23: O Emmanuel, O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, Come and set us free, Lord our God.