My first awareness of the "O"
Antiphons and their crescendo-like beauty came from reading Fr. Thomas Merton’s
glorious description of monastically praying these gems in his masterpiece biography,
The Seven Story Mountain. I was 19 years old and it was 1971 and I
finally opened myself to God’s desire for me to live a life of full communion!
A few months later, I saw a
brochure on the Newman Center bulletin board about a summer program in inner-city,
Kansas City. This program was for college students throughout the United
States, and it was sponsored by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy
Trinity (SOLT).
I left Delaware in June and tutored
inmates who had dropped out of high school. I served on a SOLT “ecclesial
family team” (composed of a priest, sister and a married couple), which was an
unheralded and exhilarating experience for me. In spite of the Kansas City
heat, I returned a year later to Kansas City to join SOLT.
This Advent, I have been inspired
to revisit these “…seven jewels of our liturgy” that harken back to the fourth
century.
The “O” antiphons begin each year on
December 17, and continue through December 23. These antiphons address Our Lord
with seven glowing Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies and
types of Christ.
During this seven-day period, the
antiphons are part of the evening prayer of the Divine Office (the antiphon
before and after the “Magnificat” in Vespers),
as well as part of the “Alleluia Verse”
before the Gospel for each day’s Mass.
The antiphons beg God with mounting
impatience to come and save His people.
O Sapientia (O, Wisdom),
O Adonai (O, Lord and Ruler),
O Radix Jesse (O, Root of Jesse),
O Clavis David (O, Key of David),
O Oriens (O, Rising Dawn),
O Rex Gentium (O, King of the Gentiles),
O Emmanuel! (O, God is with
Us!)
The "O" Antiphons are
also the verses for the ancient hymn, O
Come, O Come Emmanuel.
In addition, if one takes the first
letter of the Messianic titles, beginning with the last title and going to the
first (Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia), the Latin
words ERO CRAS emerge, which means: "Tomorrow,
I will come."
YES!
Come, Lord, Jesus!
