Editor's Note: The Roman Church has sung the 'O' Antiphons since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from Dec. 17-23: “O Wisdom,” “O Lord," and so on.
Nothing quite captures the spirit of Advent like the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. It echoes the deepest desires of the human heart, especially for the Savior to come. You will certainly hear this familiar hymn at some point this Advent, but were you aware that this song’s seven verses come from a more ancient tradition, the O Antiphons?
These prayers are said in the Liturgy of the Hours during Evening Prayer in the seven days leading up to Christmas. They express the most fundamental longings of the human heart, while begging for the Savior to come and fulfill every desire.
Dec. 17
Sapientia. Wisdom.
We want wisdom. We want to understand the greater meaning and purpose behind things. More than just knowing things, we also want to know persons, ultimately God Himself. Thus, this antiphon echoes the verse from the book of Wisdom, “[Wisdom] reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well,” (Wis. 8:1).
Jesus is the Word of God, through whom all things were ordered in the beginning. In Jesus, there is the true Wisdom of God by which we can know God and be known by Him.
Dec. 18
Adonai. Lord.
How often we have attached ourselves to earthly things, many of which become our masters? Just as Israel fell into slavery in Egypt, so we also fall into a spiritual form of slavery through sin.
But, this antiphon gives us hope. It echoes the Exodus story, when God revealed His Name “LORD” to Moses, when He reached down and drew Israel out from Egypt; where He established them in worship of the true God. Likewise, in Jesus, there is the true service of the greatest good.
Dec. 19
Radix. Root.
This antiphon quotes Isaiah's prophecy, “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a Branch will bear fruit,” (Is. 11:1-10). As humans, we desire to grow and bear fruit, fruit that will last. But so often our potential is cut short, and we are left as a stump. Yet Jesus can always provide new life: “I am the vine, you are the branches.” (Jn. 15:5). In Jesus, there is connection and growth.
Dec. 20
Clavis. The Key of David.
“I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David” (Is. 22:22). This Key was in possession of the King unless he went away on mission, when it was to be left in the hands of a steward. Hence, Christ gives Peter “the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” (Mt. 16:9).
In both prophecies, the Key will open and close, bind and loosen. This reminds us that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want, but to pursue what we must. We are stewards of this freedom, not kings; that belongs to Christ. Yet with Christ as Key, we can unbind ourselves from anything holding us back, and attach ourselves to the true source of our happiness.
Dec. 21
Oriens. The Dawn of the East.
It is remarkable that on this day, the darkest day of the year, we pray for Jesus, the Light of the World, to come. Light guides us, to show us the way when we are lost in the darkness. When our lives feel directionless and meaningless, we need this light the most. And so the Church prays this antiphon as did Zechariah, finding the light at the birth of his son, “The Dawn from on high shall break upon us,” (Lk. 1:78).
Dec. 22
Rex. King.
This is the proper task of a king: to provide for the people’s hunger for justice and peace. This antiphon begs the “Desire of Nations,” Jesus the King, to make us one in peace and unity, where lesser kings in their false judgments have brought division.
It also references Christ the Cornerstone as in the prophet, “See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation,” (Is. 28:16). It reminds me of Daniel’s prophecy, that a stone “untouched by human hands” would crush the statue of the kingdoms of the earth and would grow into a mountain, meaning, “In the lifetime of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed,” (Dn. 2:31-45). Christ is the foundation on which the Kingdom of God is built, on earth as it is in heaven.
Dec. 23
Emmanuel. God-with-us.
Perhaps the greatest desire of every human heart is the simple desire for God. Having nothing else, if we simply knew we had God with us, we know we have everything we need.
Thus, it is God’s constant promise throughout the Old Testament, “I will be with you,” (cf. Is. 7:14, Ex. 3:12, Deut. 31:6, Ps. 46:7, etc.). It was for this reason that in the fullness of time, “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,” (Jn. 3:14).
'Tomorrow'
Thus, the O Antiphons reach their completion. There is no antiphon for the evening of Dec. 24 since that is Christmas Eve, but that does not mean we should skip our reflection for this day.
So far, the Church has expressed the deepest desires of the human heart. If only Jesus will come, then we can know and be known, serve the greatest good, grow and bear fruit, live in true freedom, be guided in truth, set things right, and have God with us. Now, it is Jesus’ turn to speak. His response is hidden in our seven-fold petition, “Come.”
Taking the first letter of the title word for each antiphon, starting at the end and working toward the beginning, we get E.R.O.C.R.A.S, which spells ero cras, or in Latin, “I will, tomorrow.” And tomorrow is Christmas Day; what a beautiful answer! And so, we keep singing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with the Church this Advent and receive from Him the fulfillment of every desire.
