What are the “O Antiphons”?

Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC) ^ | 2000 | William Saunders

[Salvation]

**I and my family shall use these in our evening prayers for the next seven nights.**

Way to go. May God bless all of you during the remainder of Advent.

[Salvation]

Wow! Did you scan that? Real music!!!

[Salvation]

LOL! I just pinged you because eastsider posted real music!!

[Salvation]

You are so welcome. Enjoy them during the last days of Advent.

[Salvation]

Thanks for the translation. They are beautiful prayers, aren't they?

[Salvation]

You are so welcome. God bless and have a blessed Christmas.

[maryz]

Thank you. A literal translation of "Cras ero" is not "Tomorrow I will come" but rather "Tomorrow I will be."

Echoes of the Hebrew "Y-hw-h" (lit. "I will be")? This form is the imperfect, i.e., not completed. Biblical Hebrew doesn't have an actual present tense, only perfect (corresponding roughly to past) and imperfect (corresponding roughly to future); what serves as a present tense in modern Hebrew is actually a participial form.

[maryz]

Beautiful! Thank you.

[ThomasMore]

I had no idea anything like this even existed.

There is so much beauty and richness in the Church. I wish they would bring back Gregorian Chant. It is the foundation of musical praise.

[eastsider]

Good morning! First, I found a site with the music, then I right clicked, copied the "Properties" (...gif), and pasted it as a picture:

< img src="PASTE URL HERE">

BTW, I don't know if you noticed, but the chant for each of the O Antiphons is the same; only the text changes.

Blessed Advent to all, and to all a good day : )

[pegleg]

I wish they would bring back Gregorian Chant. It is the foundation of musical praise.

Amen! I can think of no other music form that can stir the soul like the Gregorian Chant.

[ninenot]

There's a German composer (late 19th/early 20th century) who stated unequivocally that Chant was the foundation of Western music, period.

It has also been described as THE song of the Church and as a major part of the music of the spheres.

It has been described, by Ratzinger, as the 'enfleshment' of the Word, Christ.

THAT'S why Bugnini and Weakland the Vandal wanted to get rid of it. Ironic that now it's a cult-top-40 item in many music stores, and more appreciated by Prots at UCLA and elsewhere than in seminaries and convents.

[ninenot]

Ah, great. What was the site with the music???

Inquiring minds want to know.

[ninenot]

NEVER MIND my last post. Used your trick, r-clicked, found the URL source. Went to the home on the site, back to "life" tab, and also discovered that it's recorded in MIDI format so that one with the equipment can HEAR it too.

BTW, a friend of mine who ought to know is rather suspicious of quite a few of the Chicago Province Dominicans.

[TotusTuus]

I remember seeing a video of an older Dominican from that province in the early 90's warning young men discerning a vocation to the Priesthood to NOT go there for similar sentiments. I also heard an Eastern Province Dominican jokingly refer to the Southern Province Dominicans as establishing Wednesdays as "wear your Habit day - with or without earrings". The English and Eastern Province Dominicans seem orthodox. What is happening to the rest? I know the Western Province fairly well, and well, they come from Berkeley (okay, Oakland - close enough!). 'Nuff said.

[TotusTuus]

It has also been described as THE song of the Church and as a major part of the music of the spheres.

The documents of Vatican II have nice things to say about Gregorian Chant and Polyphony (sp?) music as well. Something about it being the heritage of the Church and all that.

Funny that those who seem to think that they expertly have the "pulse" of the "spirit of the Council" never acknowledge these statements.

[Desdemona]

Funny that those who seem to think that they expertly have the "pulse" of the "spirit of the Council" never acknowledge these statements.

And brook no argument either. Just TRY on Pentecost to get a music director other than ninenot to sing Veni Creator Spiritus in Latin. It's absolutely lovely. And "Pange Lingua" on Holy Thursday.

I feel so deprived.

[eastsider]

There's a German composer (late 19th/early 20th century) who stated unequivocally that Chant was the foundation of Western music, period.

Gregorian chant is indeed the foundation of Western music. It was imported to the Holy Roman Empire by Charlemagne at the beginning of the 9th century as part of the acculturation of his kingdom. Eventually, other voices were added, and the rest is history.

[eastsider]

I remember seeing a video of an older Dominican from that province in the early 90's warning young men discerning a vocation to the Priesthood to NOT go there [Chicago Province Dominicans] for similar sentiments.

'And whatever you do, stay away from Zombie Island, laddie!"

[Salvation]

About the "Great O's"

On the evening of December 17 the final phase of preparation for Christmas begins with the first of the great "O Antiphons" of Advent. These prayers are seven jewels of liturgical song, one for each day until Christmas Eve. They seem to sum up all our Advent longing for the Savior.

The "O Antiphons" are intoned with special solemnity in monasteries at Vespers, before and after the Magnificat, Mary's prayer of praise and thanksgiving from the Gospel of Luke (2:42-55), which is sung every evening as the climax of this Hour of the Divine Office.

A vestige of the "Great Os" can be seen in verses of the familiar Advent hymn, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel".

Families interested in the liturgy have discovered these gems of liturgical poetry and use them in their evening prayers. An "O Antiphon House" -- similar to an Advent Calendar -- can be made, with seven windows, each concealing an appropriate symbol for the different "O Antiphons", and an eighth window hiding the Nativity scene. As with an Advent calendar, one window is opened each day.

The sublime meditation of the "Great Os" would be excellent for families with children who have outgrown the Jesse Tree or Advent calendar. In any case, they are beautiful additions to your family prayers in the days just before Christmas. And they form part of the classic Christmas Novena.

The "O Antiphons" appear below in English translation, with scriptural sources and suggested symbols.

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The "O Antiphons"

O WISDOM, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: Come, and teach us the way of prudence.
Sirach 24:2; Wisdom 8:1. Symbols: oil lamp, open book.

O LORD AND RULER of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come, and redeem us with outstretched arm.
Exodus 3:2, 20:1. Symbols: burning bush, stone tablets.

O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: Come to deliver us, and tarry not.
Isaiah 11:1-3. Symbol: vine or plant with flower (especially a rose).

O KEY OF DAVID, and Scepter of the House of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: Come, and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Isaiah 22:22. Symbols: key; broken chains.

O DAWN OF THE EAST, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of Justice: Come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Psalm 19:6-7. Symbol: rising sun.

O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, the Cornerstone that makes both one: Come, and deliver man, whom You formed out of the dust of the earth.
Psalm 2:7-8, Ephesians 2:14-20. Symbols, Crown, scepter.

O EMMANUEL, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: Come to save us, O Lord our God.
Isaiah 7:14; 33:22. Symbols: tablets of stone, Chalice and Host.

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Adapted from Celebrating Advent and Christmas ­ A Sourcebook for Families