Discover these seven beautiful antiphons which are Advent’s brightest jewels shining in the darkness of our night.
In the days leading up to Christmas the Church offers us a series of beautiful antiphons or ancient chants. From 17th December to 23rd December these antiphons are sung and read in Evening Prayer (Vespers) framing the Magnificat and as Gospel acclamations during Mass. These texts most probably originated in Rome before the 6th century. Each text in Latin begins with “O” hence they are known as ‘The O Antiphons’. Each antiphon is a name of Christ, taken from one of his attributes such as root, light and key mentioned in Scripture and refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.
In these antiphons we are reminded that we live between the two comings that give Advent its central theme: Jesus’ birth and his Second Coming. Since the expulsion from Eden, we have cried out for salvation and justice. A way has opened up for us through Jesus’ birth, his ministry on earth, and beyond death and resurrection, of his promise of a new kingdom.
These beautiful antiphons are Advent’s brightest jewels shining in the darkness of our night. They lead us to the light of Christ just as the Star led the wise men from the East to Bethlehem.
They are:
17 December: O Sapientia – (O Wisdom)
18 December: O Adonai – (O Lord))
19 December: O Radix Jesse – (O Root of Jesse)
20 December: O Clavis David – (O Key of David)
21 December: O Oriens – (O Dayspring)
22 December: O Rex Gentium – (O King of the Nations)
23 December: O Emmanuel – (O God is with us)
Each title for Christ focuses on one aspect of his identity and is followed by further qualities flowing from that title. Each antiphon ends with a petition asking for a specific request from Christ appropriate to the title by which He was just invoked. We have accompanied these antiphons with poems by Fr Mark Skelton from Plymouth Diocese.
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Wisdom 7:7-14
Luke 10:21-24
Sapientia – Wisdom
How wise is He,
who trusts His love to powerless fools?
How wise is He,
who opts for mangers, mud and straw?
How wise is He,
who speaks in dreams and guides by stars?
How wise is He?
Well, let us see.
This wisdom leads, in years to come,
to foolish feet, echoes in panicked flight.
This wisdom leads to nakedness
stretched pained and broken on a wooden frame.
Yet also leads to ones who see,
on road and beach and room, unhoped for fact.
That once it enters in and speaks its word,
it is the Truth.
Fr Mark Skelton
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
Exodus 3:1-15
Matthew 16:13-20
Adonai – Lord
A Lord who’d rule from manger raw,
who’d speak his laws with infant’s plea.
A powerless child who’d holds no throne
if any came to wrest it free.
And yet this is the one who still
has those who look to Him as king.
His powerless voice still powers the hope
which turns each tyrant’s rule to straw.
Fr Mark Skelton
By CCT Digital – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82906636
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.
Scripture Texts for reflection and prayer:
Exodus 3:1-15
Matthew 16:13-20
Root of Jesse – Radix
This time of year the garden sleeps.
But even now look close, and see
some echo of its gloried past
and hints of future flowering.
Can shadows stretch towards the sun,
which aches to rise and tender touch?
But from a wasted vine, full tired,
its fruitfulness, forgotten, spent,
Where no hope rested, no hope stirred,
will spring forth life, true Heaven sent.
Fr Mark Skelton
O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Psalm 23:1-6 and Isaiah 22
Matthew 25:31-40
Clavis – Key of David
An ancient trunk tight shut
and wrapped with chains and locks
which in its corner broods
and breathes its whispered curse.
‘Herein I hold the hope
which loveless worlds await!’
One key fits every lock,
it’s said – yet strange, unknown,
it still stands closed and blocked.
No force will wrest the prize.
Yet now the lock is gone.
And hope is free to fly.
The key, which does the deed,
is made of simple wood.
Its shape – a cross.
Fr Mark Skelton
O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal
and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.
Isaiah 60
Luke 1:67-79
Oriens – Morning Star
Once, shining life across the space of years,
a star rose up to liberate the night.
And utter darkness of the uncreated world
was pierced with future hopes and growing light.
And later, One, cruel pierced by others’ hate,
would lie in darkness, life and future gone.
But, called by Father’s love, his star would rise again
and fill the universe with hope-filled song.
Fr Mark Skelton
O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Matthew 21:42
Rex Gentium – King of the nations
So Russia wars and vies to rule
by crushing out another’s dreams.
Afghanistan snuffs out the light
and women wait as hatred streams.
America so polarised
that no-one speaks beyond their team.
United Kingdom disunites
round anger, hate, poverty; themes
which seem to have no end in sight
beyond more hate.
Into this rage, could hope be poured?
Not miracles which falsely shine,
but one laid down to staunch the flow
and nurture love.
A king who seeks to love.
A king who yearns to teach.
A king who draws out hate.
This king who justice is.
Fr Mark Skelton
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
Isaiah 7:14
Luke 2:1-19
Emmanuel – God is with us
God is with us, hid from our eyes.
God is with us but bound in cloth,
cloths that hold his infant arms at rest.
And, like the undiscovered gift
which lies, unknown, beneath a tree,
these cloths will be removed in time,
his limbs unfurling, reaching out
in love and future healing power.
These cloths will echo those of him,
who raised by sisters’ pleading cry,
will stumble out to be set free,
to resume his acts in the world of men.
These infant arms, once grown to man,
are taken, pinioned, twisted; nailed
as butterfly upon a board.
And from this unloved beauty comes
commissioning.
‘Love as I would.
Forgive as I do.’
God is with us,
and what a God He is.
Fr Mark Skelton
Although the antiphons and dates have been recognised throughout Western Christianity, an alternative English mediaeval practice arose of adding an eighth antiphon – the O Virgo Virginum (O Virgin of virgins) dedicated to honouring Mary’s role in bringing Christ into the world with the following text:
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.
“O come, O come, Emmanuel” is a popular Advent and Christmas hymn originally written in Latin in the 8th or 9th century and sung in monasteries as a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons as you will see from its verses:
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.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell Thy people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,
and cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come
and open wide our heav’nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Adonai, Lord of might,
who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
in ancient times didst give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
Compiled by Fleur Dorrell
Bishop Peter Brignall invites us to share a simple ceremony of lighting the candles of the Advent Wreath. Download the resource for free here.
