O Antiphons - An Ancient Call of Messianic Hope

3rd Sunday of Advent 2023

I am so excited to get this piece out to you today, a couple days before Sunday so you can decide if this ancient practice would be a good fit for your family. I am also honored to have it be a part of the Signs & Seasons publication! Be sure to click the link to find several writers who are sharing Advent stories, reflections, and beautiful insights.

I first learned of the O Antiphons several years into being Catholic, it came as quite a shock that something so beautiful and ancient existed, seemingly hidden from the world unless you knew where to look. So don’t worry if you haven’t heard of this tradition rich in symbolism and meaning. The nature of the Church is such that it is a buffet of Truth and Goodness born in Beauty. All the faithful must do is simply choose and partake in it as they are able or as they are made more aware of the varied options over time. So perhaps today is the day you get to sample a new treat from this buffet of goodness.

According to Church history, the O Antiphons have been sung beginning somewhere between the 6th to 8th, but most certainly by the 8th century when they were included in liturgical celebrations¹. They are an ancient call of Messianic hope. A longing, an ache deep from within.

The O Antiphons, or Great Antiphons as they are sometimes referred to, are traditionally sung before and after the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55) during an evening prayer known as Liturgy of the Hours in the seven days leading up to Christmas. With ever more urgency expressed in each reading, the faithful are lead through an ancient longing shared in the book of Isaiah, using the Old Testament names for the Messiah: O Wisdom (O Sapientia), O Lord (O Adonai), O Root of Jesse (O Radix Jesse), O Key of David (O Clavis David), O Dayspring (O Oriens), O King of Nations (O Rex Gentium), O God with Us (O Emmanuel).

It is a beautiful legacy of Faith that can be passed on to our children, something ancient reminding us of the longing and the hope the Israelites held within their hearts. Something new, Reminding us of the longing and hope we still hold in our hearts today for Christ’s second coming. As with most things in prayer and Liturgical Living, it is best to take stock of your present situation. For my family, saying the O Antiphons both before and after the Magnificat has been a goal out of reach due to my little ones’ attention spans in years past.

We are hoping this year might be the first time our family can partake in this ancient practice together. Be sure to click here for an activity you can do with your kids regarding the symbols associated with the O Antiphons.

Here are two beautiful renditions of the O Antiphons chanted in English and Latin if you want to take minute to listen.

And a fun fact before we dive into the O Antiphons you can sing at home, if you take the seven Latin titles of Christ and form an acrostic with the first initials, then read it backwards you get ERO CRAS which means “tomorrow I will be there.”² You’ve got to hand it to those Benedictine monks, that’s clever!

This is one version of the O Antiphons, which can be sung to the tune of O Come O Come Emmanuel or said³:

Dec. 17 - O’ Sapientia (O Wisdom), from Isaiah 11:2-3

O come, thou Wisdom, from on high
And order all things far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Dec. 18 - O’ Adonai (O Lord or Ruler), 11:4-5 and 33:22

O come, o come, thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times did give the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Dec. 19 - O’ Radix (O Root of Jesse), 11:1.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust thy mighty power to save
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Dec. 20 - O’ Clavis (O Key of David), 22:22.

O come, thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav'nly home,
Make safe the way that leads on high,
That we no more have cause to sigh.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Dec. 21 - O’ Oriens (O Radiant Dawn), 9:1.

O Come, thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadow put to flight,
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Dec. 22 - O’ Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), 2:4.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind:
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the world with heaven's peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Dec. 23 - O’ Emmanuel (O God with Us), 7:14.

O come, o come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

1. Catholic Education Resource Center - “The exact origin of the O Antiphons is not known. Boethius (c. 480-524) made a slight reference to them, thereby suggesting their presence at that time. 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.”

2. Meredith Gould, The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Everyday (New York: Doubleday, 2004) pg. 22

3. Kendra Tierney, The Catholic All Year Prayer Companion: The Liturgical Year in Practice (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2021) pg. 78-79