.jpg-14.png)
Text and Illustration:
The Great “O” Antiphons.
Plainsong with accompaniment.
Caroline sings The Great “O” Antiphons
(accompanied by Richard).
“O Emmanuel” is sung by CONSORT SW1.
Available on YouTube
These Antiphons, known as the Great “O” Antiphons (for the beginning word of each) begin on 16 December (in English usage from ancient times) or 17 December (in Roman usage) and continue until 23 December.
The first seven Antiphons are petitions to The Saviour, using some of His Scriptural Titles – Old Testament prophetic images and New Testament description – and the eighth Antiphon (in English usage) is addressed to The Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother of God.
The authorship and origin of the Antiphons is unknown, but they were introduced into the Roman Liturgy by the 8th-Century A.D. Some historians believe that they were familiar to Boethius (who died in 525 A.D.), as evidenced by a passage in his “De Consolatione Philosophiæ”.
In Monasteries in The Middle Ages, the “O” Antiphons were distributed among the Monks as part of their duties and were sung in order of Rank: The Abbot sang “O Sapientia”, the Prior “O Adonai”, etc.
The first metrical version of the Antiphons appeared in Cologne in 1710, and John Mason Neale’s translation in the “Hymnal Noted” of 1851 was the first English version. The Advent Hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, is a paraphrase based on this translation.
O Sapientia – O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of The Most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily, and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence. (16/17 December).
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God [Mt. 4:4].
O Lord, how manifold are Thy works ! In wisdom Thou hast made them all [Ps. 104:24]. Thy word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path [Ps. 119:105].
O Adonai – O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, who appearedst in the Bush to Moses in a flame of fire, and gavest him the law of Sinai: come and deliver us with an outstretched arm. (17/18 December).
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire
out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the
bush was burning, yet it was not consumed . . . [Ex. 3:2].
Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you [Is. 35:4].
O Radix Jesse – O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at whom Kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the Gentiles shall seek; Come and deliver us, and tarry not. (18/19 December).
In that day The Root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign
to the peoples; Him shall the nations seek, and His
dwellings shall be glorious [Is. 11:10]. The Root of Jesse
shall come, He Who rises to rule the Gentiles; in Him
shall the Gentiles hope” [Rm. 15:12].
O Clavis David – O Key of David, and Sceptre of The House of Israel; that openest, and no man shutteth, and shuttest, and no man openeth: Come and bring the prisoner out of the prison-house, and him that sitteth in darkness, and the shadow of death. (19/20 December).
And I will place on His shoulder the key of The House of David; He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open [Is. 22:22]. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind [Lk. 4:18].
O Oriens – O Day-Spring, Brightness of light everlasting and Sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten him that sitteth in darkness, and the shadow of death. (20/21 December).
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them
has light shined [Is. 9:2]. To give knowledge of salvation
to His people by the remission of their sins, through the
tender mercy of our God, with which the Day Spring
from On High has visited us [Lk. 1:78].
O Rex Gentium – O King of the Nations, and their Desire, the Cornerstone, Who makest both one: come and save mankind, whom Thou formedest of clay. (21/22 December).
Lift up your heads, O ye gates ! And be lifted up, ye everlasting doors ! And The King of Glory shall come in [Ps. 24:7]. And they put over His head the accusation written against Him: “This is Jesus, The King of the Jews” [Mt. 27:37]. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone [Ps. 118:22]. Therefore, thus says The Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation . . .” [Is.28:16] . . . having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ, Himself, being The
Chief Cornerstone [Eph. 2:20].
O Emmanuel – O Emmanuel, our King and Law-Giver, the Desire of all Nations, and their Salvation: Come and save us, O Lord our God. (22/23 December).
Therefore the Lord, Himself, will give you a sign. Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel [Is. 7:14]. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet, saying: “Behold, the Virgin shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us” [Mt. 1:22, 23].
O Virgo Virginum – O Virgin of Virgins, how shall this be ? For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after. Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me ? The thing which ye behold is a Divine Mystery. (23 December).
Then Mary said to the Angel: “How can this be, since I know not a man ?” [Lk. 1:34] Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion ! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem ! Lo, your King comes to you . . .[Zech. 9:9]. Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not, Daughter of Zion; Behold your King is coming . . .” [Jn. 12:14, 15].
