Reflect on the O Antiphons as part of your final preparation for celebration the birth of our Lord and Savior.  The O Antiphons are prayed during Vespers from December 17 to December 23. Rooted in imagery from the Old Testament,each antiphon begins with the word “O,” followed by a title for the Messiah and a petition for him to come and save the people of God by fulfilling the Scriptures.

Each December 17, the Church begins to sing the O Antiphons during

Vespers. The precise origin of these antiphons is unknown, although

we are aware that they had entered the Roman liturgy by the eighth

century....  when viewed as a reverse acrostic, the titles for the

Messiah in these antiphons spell out in Latin E.R.O. C.R.A.S. or

“Tomorrow, I will come.”

December 17

O sacred Lord of ancient Israel,

who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,

who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:

come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

December 18

O Flower of Jesse’s stem,

you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples;

kings stand silent in your presence;

the nations bow down in worship before you.

Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

December 19

O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel

controlling at your will the gate of heaven:

come, break down the prison walls of death

for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;

and lead your captive people into freedom.

December 20

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the

shadow of death. 

December 21

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart;

O Keystone of the mighty arch of man,

come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

December 22

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver,

desire of the nations, Savior of all people,

come and set us free, Lord our God.

December 23

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver,

desire of the nations, Savior of all people,

come and set us free, Lord our God.

We celebrate God’s revelation of a name, a name bestowed once in the burning bush in Exodus and now completed in the gift of the Child named Jesus.

[McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame]

May God Be Praised!