The O Antiphons

In the Gospel today, once again
we hear the proclamation of the incarnation.

During Advent we hear this proclamation quite frequently
Because the Church wants to remind us of WHO is coming.

Not just a cute baby born of a holy family
but the Son of the Most High.

Born when Mary accepted the Message of an Angel of God
Born by the Power of the Holy Spirit,

Who overshadowed Mary,
like the Lord God overshadowed Mount Sinai

And who dwelt in her womb like the Word of God
Dwelt in the Ark of the Covenant.

He is Emmanuel, God with us,
and the Church doesn’t want us to forget that.

On December 17th, each year the Church begins to remind us
Each day of this reality,
the reality of WHO comes to us each Christmas
with its famous O Antiphons.

The O Antiphons are Short songs
that precede the singing of the Magnificat
each evening in the Vespertime prayer of the Church.

The Church reminds us with these seven titles,
these seven songs of who Jesus is
Yesterday the Church sang O Sapientia:

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

This song of praise and expectation reminds us
that Christ is the Word of God, Wisdom made flesh,
and all true wisdom comes from Him.

Today the Church will sing O Adonai:

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 arms.

Reminding us that God is the Lord and Judge, not us,
and that His birth is an invitation to us to judge not
ourselves or others, but to trust in the judgement of God.

Jesus is the Radix Jesse:

O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.

Jesus is both the beginning and the end,
a new beginning from the root of humanity,
the new beginning that all of creation longs for.

O Clavis David begins the antiphon for Tuesday as we sing:

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 lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison.

Showing us that as John says “I am the way the truth and the light, NO ONE can come to the Father except through me.”
Jesus is the key that sets us free
to obtain the deepest desire of our heart,
seeing God face to face,
if only we allow that key to unlock our hearts.

Four days before Christmas we sing O Oriens:

O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Jesus is the light of the world, the light which He desires to kindle in our hearts and homes and communities.

On Thursday we praise Christ as the King of Kings
singing O Rex Gentium:

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.

Proclaiming Christ the King of Kings the one who must rule in our hearts if we have any hope of attaining true peace.

Finally on the day before Christmas Eve we proclaim
Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, recalling His central mission.

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.

Reminding us of the central fact of our Faith that God, the rightful ruler of all creation, loves us so much to become man and dwell among us.

Taken together these antiphon’s spell out the central message of Advent, and the challenge for how every Christian must live their lives.

Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai,Sapientia –
The first letter of these seven titles of the Baby Jesus
Spells out in Latin ero cras meaning,

“Tomorrow, I will come.”

WHO will come? Our God will come to us.

You see there are lots of people who want to say
That Jesus was just a nice man
And that the Christmas story is just a nice fable.

But everything that Jesus said about Himself,
And that was written about Him in sacred Scriptures
And that the Church has taught us about Him for 2000 years
Refutes this view of Christ and Christmas.

Did anyone catch its purpose of what St. Paul calls
in the letter to the Romans
“the mystery kept secret for long ages”?

He says the mystery of Christmas is meant:
“to bring about the obedience of faith.”

It’s meant to change us by showing the world
“that God so loved the world..”

but it’s a message not meant for the world but for me and for you,

“God so loved [ME] that in the fullness of time
He sent His only begotten Son,
that [I] may not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

If we truly believe that He loves you and me that much,
That he was willing to give us His Son
Then this fact must bring about change in the way we live.

Every day we Catholics must live this reality,
Humbling our hearts in the obedience of Faith
Because He will come every tomorrow of our lives
To walk with us if only we allow him in.

Will the Child Jesus, who is Wisdom, the Lord, The Root of Our Humanity, the Key to our Desires, the Orientation of our Hopes, the King of all the World, God with us,

find a place in your home and heart this year?