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You are here: Home / Spiritual Teaching / The “O Antiphons” of Advent

The “O Antiphons” of Advent

December 17, 2016 by Fr. Ben Cameron Leave a Comment

12th-century_painters_-_the_tree_of_jesse_-_wga15728One of the Church’s ancient liturgical traditions, dating back to at least the 8th century, is the use of the “O Antiphons” for this final week of Advent — our final preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas.  Each of these antiphons points to a Scriptural title of Christ found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  It would be a good preparation for Christmas to meditate on these ancient texts:

December 17th:

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.

 

December 18th:

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

December 19th:

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

December 20th:

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

December 21st:

O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

December 22nd:

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

December 23rd:

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Do these “O Antiphons” seem vaguely familiar?  They are the basis for the Latin/English hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel!”

 

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