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The seven "O Antiphons" (also called the "Greater
Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from the
Breviary's Vespers during the Octave before
Christmas Eve, a time which is called the "Golden
Nights."
Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title
which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and
whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin
"Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." Those titles for Christ are:
Sapientia
Adonai
Radix Jesse
Clavis David
Oriens
Rex Gentium
Emmanuel
These
glorious titles in more detail:
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Title:
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Meaning:
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Old
Testament prophetic verses:
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Sapientia
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Wisdom
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Isaias
11:2-3
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom,
and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the
spirit of knowledge, and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the
spirit of the fear of the Lord, He shall not judge according to the
sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears.
Isaias 28:29
This also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel
wonderful, and magnify justice. |
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Adonai
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Lord
of Israel
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Isaias
11:4-5
But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity
the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of
his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of
his reins.
Isaias 33:22
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our
king: he will save us. |
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Radix
Jesse
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Root
of Jesse
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Isaias 11:1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower
shall rise up out of his root.
Isaias 11:10
In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the
people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be
glorious.
Micheas 5:1
Now shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid
siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge
of Israel.
Romans 15:8-13
For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the
truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. But that
the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:
Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will
sing to thy name. And again he saith: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his
people. And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and magnify him,
all ye people. And again Isaias saith: There shall be a root of Jesse;
and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles
shall hope. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing; that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy
Ghost.
Apocalypse 5:1-5
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book
written within and without, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong
angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book,
and to loose the seals thereof? And no man was able, neither in heaven,
nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it.
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor
to see it. And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not; behold the
lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open
the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. |
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Clavis
David
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Key
of David
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Isaias
22:22
And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he
shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Isaias 9:6
For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government
is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince
of Peace. |
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Oriens
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Radiant
Dawn, Dayspring
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Isaias
9:2
The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them
that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.
Malachias 4:1-3
For behold the day shall come kindled as a furnace: and all the proud,
and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh
shall set them on fire, saith the Lord of hosts, it shall not leave
them root, nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, the Sun of
justice shall arise, and health in his wings: and you shall go forth,
and shall leap like calves of the herd. And you shall tread down the
wicked when they shall be ashes under the sole of your feet in the day
that I do this, saith the Lord of hosts. |
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Rex
Gentium
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King
of all Nations, King of the Gentiles
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Isaias
9:7
His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he
shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish
it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth
and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaias 2:4
And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall
turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be
exercised any more to war. |
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Emmanuel
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God
with us
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Isaias
7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. |
Below are the O Antiphons in both English and Latin. One is prayed each
evening at Vespers time (around sunset), and families can make up their
own ceremonies using the Antiphons, Scripture, by singing or listening
to sacred music (especially "O Come, Emmanuel," see below), adding to
their Jesse Trees,
etc. Whatever you do, set the scene, as you should with all Catholic
family devotions: burn incense, lower the lights, light candles, use
sacred music at appropriate times, meaningful symbols, etc.
To pray the O Antiphons as they are prayed in the Divine Office, begin
with the Antiphon, then pray the Magnificat (included below), then
repeat the Antiphon.
It would be wonderful if perhaps one parent can chant, or at least
read, the Antiphons in Latin, with the second parent reading them in
the vernacular afterwards. To hear them chanted (MP3 files), 1 click the
speaker icon; to see the musical notation, click the musical note.
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December
17
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Wisdom
that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one
end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to
teach us the way of prudence!
Latin  
O Sapientia, quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad
finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam
prudentiæ.
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December
18
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Adonai,
and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the
burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with
an outstretched arm!
Latin
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi
apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in
brachio extento.
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December
19
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Root
of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings
shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver
us, do not tarry.
Latin
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt
reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam
noli tardare.
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December
20
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Key
of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man
shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the
prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the
shadow of death.
Latin
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit;
claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
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December
21
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Dayspring,
Brightness of the everlasting light, Sun of justice, come to give light
to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!
Latin
O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, et sol justitiæ: veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
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December
22
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King
of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest
of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of
the earth!
Latin
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.
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My
Soul Doth Magnify the Lord / Magnificat
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My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For
He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name.
And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear
Him.
He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the
conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good
things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He
spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.
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Magnificat
anima mea Dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salvatore meo,
quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes, quia fecit mihi
magna, qui potens est, et sanctum Nomen eius, et misericordia eius in
progenies et progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordi sui;
deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles; esurientes implevit
bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae, sicut locutus
est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in saecula.
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The O Antiphons are the source of the lyrics of the
Advent song "Veni, veni Emmanuel" ("Come, O come Emmanuel") which you
can hear by clicking
here. It would be beautiful for the family to sing this
lovely Advent song at the conclusion of the O Antipons. For the lyrics,
see the Lyrics and Melodies to
Traditional Catholic Hymns page.
To download the O Antiphons and Magnificat, in both English and Latin,
for use in your home, click here
for a 2-page Microsoft Word document that has all you need.
Credits:
1
The MP3 files come from Father Jim Tucker ("Don Jim"), of the blog "Dappled
Things" (will open in new browser window). 
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