Beginning on December 17, as the final phase of preparation for Christmas, the Church recites or chants the O Antiphons preceding the Magnificat during Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Liturgy of the Hours. The importance of the “Great O Antiphons” is twofold: each one is a title for the Messiah and each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah and other Old Testament Scripture passages foretelling the coming of the Messiah. The Great O Antiphons are characteristically “Benedictine” in nature because they flourished in the monastic liturgy with great élan. Over the course of the next seven days, let us prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
It is organized as follows:
December 17: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
December 18: O Adonai (O Adonai)
December 19: O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
December 20: O Clavis David (O Key of David)
December 21: O Oriens (O Morning Star)
December 22: O Rex Gentium (O King of the nations)
December 23: O Emmanuel (O Emmanuel)
These antiphons provide one with seven reasons to believe that Jesus is the one who comes to save; the first letter of each of the Latin verses, counting backwards, spells ero cras which is Latin for I shall be, tomorrow!
The importance of the “Great O Antiphons” is twofold: each one is a title for the Messiah and each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah and other Old Testament Scripture passages foretelling the coming of the Messiah. These ancient texts from sacred Scripture sung as verses before and after the Magnificat at Vespers in the Divine Office. The Great O Antiphons are characteristically “Benedictine” in nature because they flourished in the monastic liturgy with great élan.
Tags: Advent, O Antiphons
