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The Seven O’s of Advent
In the last days of Advent, there are special short refrains or antiphons that are often added to evening prayers; all beginning with O… They are a called the “O Antiphons”. The antiphons were composed in the seventh or eighth century. There is even some evidence that a few were in use in the sixth century. Monastic choirs sang the antiphons during Evening Prayers (Vespers), often after reciting the Magnificat while the great bells of the church were rung. Can you image this? They have continued to be in use since that time within the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. Think about how many of our fellow Christian have sung these verses over these fourteen hundred years!
Benedictine Monks identified verses from the Old Testament which looked forward to the coming of our Savior. Each verse was intended to paint the story in words and music about the nature of the God who is coming to us. There two main variations in the way Advent Antiphons are used churches; one which uses seven Antiphons starting on December 17th and the other, which uses eight antiphons, beginning on December 16th. No matter the number of antiphons used, the last one is always said on December 23rd.
Each of the seven antiphons that I will be highlighting begins with an “O” and is followed by a title or description of God in Latin. Many of which are found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse, King David’s father), Clavis (Key), Oriens (Morning Star), Rex (King), and Emmanuel (from Hebrew – “God-with-us”).
Today we are closing the third week of Advent, whose theme is Joy. And, in keeping with this theme, the Benedictines did something that I find very funny in their selections of these names for God. If you take the first letter of each of the Latin names above which are said from December 17 through December 23rd, and write them in reverse order, you get the Latin words:
ERO CRAS
Which means: Tomorrow I will be there.
On December 24th the response of Christ himself to the prayers of his people is: “Tomorrow I will be there!” How delightfully clever! Starting today, December 17th through the 23rd, I will include the O Antiphon of the day and an hymn to go with it. The Antiphon for today is O Sapientia (O Wisdom).
December 17. 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.
See: Isaiah 11:2-3, Isaiah 28:29, Sirach 24:1-5, Wisdom of Solomon 8:1
Here is the first of the great O Antiphons: O Sapientia .
+ The Anglican Anchoress