The Advent Antiphons
Traditionally, from 17 December, Advent shifts its
focus slightly away from the returning king to the long-promised infant. We
have just seven days to prepare for Christmas – the celebration of the
incarnation.
Antiphons are short sentences, sometimes called
refrains, which are used in evening worship across the world. They are said by
everyone at a service before and after the Magnificat – the hymn Mary sings
when she meets Elizabeth in Luke chapter one. It is not known when and by whom
the antiphons were composed, but they were already in use by the eighth
century.
All the Advent antiphons begin with ‘O ...’. They
are addressed to God, calling for him to come as teacher and deliverer, with a
tapestry of scriptural titles and pictures that describe his saving work in
Jesus Christ. By reflecting each day on a different antiphon, we increase our
expectation of Jesus and our need of him.
17
December – O Sapientia Wisdom
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.
18
December – O Adonai Lord
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.
19
December – O Radix Jesse Root (of Jesse)
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.
20
December – O Clavis David Key (of David)
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.
21 December
– O Oriens Light, Dawn
O Morning
Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and
enlighten those who dwell in darkness
and the
shadow of death.
22 December
– O Rex Gentium King
O King of
the nations, and their desire,
the
cornerstone making both one:
Come and
save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.
23 December
– O Emmanuel God
O Emmanuel,
our King and our lawgiver,
the hope of
the nations and their Saviour:
Come and
save us, O Lord our God.
Additional
readings if you want to use them:
Dec 17
(Sapientia) Ps 90,11; 1 Corinthians
2.1-13
Dec 18
(Adonai) Psalm 106; Exodus 3.1-6;
Acts 7.20-36
Dec 19
(Radix Jesse) Psalm 50; Isaiah 11.1-9
Romans 15.7-13
Dec 20
(Clavis David) Psalm 89.1-34; Isaiah
22.21-23; Revelation 3.7-13
Dec 21
(Oriens) Psalm27; Numbers 24.15b-19;
Revelation 22.10-21
Dec 22 (Rex
Gentium) Psalm 118; Jeremiah 30.7-11a; Acts 4.1-12
Dec 23
(Emmanuel) Psalm 80; Isaiah 7.10-15;
Matthew 1.18-23
Suggested pattern: for example a family or
individual could sit follow a pattern of short prayers starting and ending with
the sentences using one of the additional readings, sitting in silence and then
praying the Lord’s prayer.
Say together Antiphon –
Reading – Silence – Lord’s Prayer – repeat Antiphon
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