Advent is a difficult season to remain focused in. The whole world is already celebrating “Christmas” and so it is hard to keep a proper disposition of hopeful expectation in our hearts. Thankfully if we find ourselves struggling to keep the spirit of Advent in our hearts, the Church has already given us a powerful way to prepare for Christmas.
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From December 17th until December 23rd, the Church has given us the “Great Antiphons” (also known as the “O Antiphons“) to remedy the situation. These short verses are used in the liturgy to heighten our senses and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.
A great practice during these final days of Advent is to pray and meditate on these Antiphons and allow the beauty of the words to sink into the depths of our being.
Unfortunately, few of us are familiar with these Antiphons. Here is some background for those who may not be familiar with this ancient tradition of the Church:
Similar to Holy Week that precedes the great celebration of Easter, the Church designates the final week of Advent to a more immediate preparation for the feast of Christmas. In the context of the liturgy, the Church designates specific “antiphons” or verses to be used during these final days and places them before the recitation of the Magnificat during Vespers.
These short verses are deep in symbolism and reflect the various titles of Jesus found in scripture and refer to different prophecies of the Old Testament.
Dom Prosper Guéranger explains the significance of the O Antiphons in his Liturgical Year:
“The canonical Hour of Vespers has been selected as the most appropriate time for this solemn supplication to our Saviour, because, as the Church sings in one of her hymns, it was in the Evening of the world(vergente mundi vespere) that the Messias came amongst us. These Antiphons are sung at the Magnificat, to show us that the Saviour, whom we expect, is to come to us by Mary. They are sung twice; once before and once after the Canticle, as on Double Feasts, and this to show their great solemnity….Lastly, these admirable Antiphons, which contain the whole pith of the Advent Liturgy, are accompanied by a chant replete with melodious gravity, and by ceremonies of great expressiveness, though, in these latter, there is no uniform practice followed. Let us enter into the spirit of the Church; let us reflect on the great Day which is coming; that thus we may take our share in these the last and most earnest solicitations of the Church imploring her Spouse to come, and to which He at length yields. (emphasis added)
My own suggestion is to pray with these Antiphons each day. This is a simple practice especially if you can’t seem to find time to pray during this week of preparation. An additional way you can enter into these Antiphons is to read them with a bible next to you and then open up scripture to find the different prophecies found in the Antiphons.
As a short cut, here are all the O Antiphons:
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.
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.
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.
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.
O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one:Come and save the human race,which you fashioned from clay.
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God.
If you are interested in singing/chanting these Great Antiphons, you can find them all in the traditional hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Let us make room for Christ our Savior during these final days of Advent!