THE ‘O’ ANTIPHONS OF ADVENT
The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons that are sung before and after
the Magnificat during Vespers. They
cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before
Christmas, 17-23 December, with 24 December being Christmas Eve and Vespers for
that evening being for the Christmas Vigil.
The exact origin of the “O Antiphons” is not known.
Boethius (c. 480-524) made a reference
to them. At the Benedictine abbey of
Fleury (now Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire), these antiphons were recited by the abbot
and other abbey leaders in descending rank, and then a gift was given to each
member of the community. By the eighth
century, they are in use in the liturgical celebrations in Rome.
The usage of the “O Antiphons” was so
prevalent in monasteries that the phrases, “Keep your O” and “The Great O
Antiphons” were common parlance. The “O
Antiphons” have been part of our liturgical tradition since the very early
Church.
The importance of “O Antiphons” is twofold: each one highlights a title for the
Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of
Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium
(O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel. Also,
each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.
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.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The
spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His
counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).
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.” Isaiah
had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for
the land’s afflicted. He shall strike
the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall
slay the wicked. Justice shall be the
band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and
“Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the
Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).
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.” Isaiah
had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his
roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and on that day, the root of Jesse, set up
as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall
be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also
that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the
Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city,
Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).
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 the shadow of death; and lead your
captive people into freedom.” Isaiah had
prophesied, I will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he
opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His
dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His
kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and
forever.” (9:6).
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.” Isaiah
had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder
dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor,
God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between
the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They
shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for
war again.” (2:4) .
O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the
nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had
prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with
child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14).
Remember “Emmanuel” means “God is with
us.”
It has been suggested the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a
definite purpose. If one starts with the
last title and takes the first letter of each one - Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens,
Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia - the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning,
“Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the
Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have
addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will
come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only
bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.