Note: this is a slightly revised version of an unpublished catechetical talk, given by the author in December 2015.
History of the O Antiphons
The history and origins of the O Antiphons is unclear. Though we possess a large number of early liturgical texts, comparatively few of them go back to before the seventh century. It is possible that a passing reference to the antiphons is made by Boethius (c. 480-524) in his work The Consolation of Philosophy, [1] which would indicate that the antiphons were known in northern Italy in around the sixth century. However, what we can say for certain is that the antiphons were known by Amalarius of Metz, a monk and scholar of the ninth century (c. 780-850). Amalarius attributes them to an anonymous cantor who probably lived in the 7th or 8th century. By the ninth century, they had also been known in Rome for some time, as they appear in the Roman antiphonaries of the period. Numerous other liturgical books of the Middle Ages from around the ninth century onwards also contain the antiphons.
The number and composition of the antiphons has varied throughout history, with some liturgical books adding one or more antiphons to the list of seven. For example, O Virgo Virginum, [2] in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is cited by Amalarius, and also has a long history of use in England. The Sarum Use had O Virgo Virginum on December 23, [3] which meant that all the other antiphons were pushed back one day, with the set of eight O Antiphons beginning on December 16. This usage carried over into the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and it is not until fairly recently that the Anglican communion has moved away from this local usage. [4] Other locations and local churches, such as Sankt Gallen and Paris, had nine or twelve antiphons at various times in history. But the core seven, the O Antiphons we know today, remain constant throughout the liturgical sources.
The days to which the antiphons were assigned has also varied over the centuries. One of the ancient Roman antiphonaries prescribes their use from the feast of St Nicholas (December 6) to the feast of St Lucy (December 13). The Ordo Romanus XI (11th century) has them chanted repeatedly from December 6 up until the Vigil of Christmas (Christmas Eve). In time, the antiphons came to be assigned to the seven days before Christmas (December 17-23).
The O Antiphons are sung before and after the Magnificat at Vespers, and they have been used in this place in the Office for many centuries. In fact, the historical evidence suggests that Vespers was their original place: their use here is mentioned by, among other sources, Amalarius of Metz, one of the ninth-century Roman antiphonaries, and the Life of Alcuin. Some churches began to use them as the antiphons for the Benedictus at Lauds—an understandable practice, given the scriptural resonances between the O Antiphons and the Benedictus. [5] However, the use of them at the Magnificat better illuminates for us the Marian aspect of Advent. [6] Through Mary’s fiat, through her “yes” to God’s plan, the Incarnate Son comes into the world to—as the antiphons tell us—teach us, deliver us, enlighten us, and save us.
Theology of the O Antiphons
The O Antiphons are a magnificent mosaic of biblical passages, weaving together the Law, Prophets and Writings from the Old Testament along with their fulfilment in the New Testament. For the final stretch of our Advent preparation, the liturgy on each day gives us an entry point for meditation on the Incarnate Word, the Son of God who "by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man" (Nicene Creed), and thus they help us to focus on the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas seasons.
From our standpoint in history, the antiphons point us back towards the joyful event of the Incarnation, the First Coming of Christ, which makes possible the saving events of Holy Week and Easter. Yet they also point us forward to the Second Coming of Christ; they help us to "be alert at all times" (Luke 21:36). Our preparation during Advent for the coming of Christ at Christmas is a model of how we can prepare for his coming again, and the O Antiphons are a small yet vital part of how the Church, through her liturgy, helps us in this. To illustrate this, let us take a more detailed look at three of the antiphons: O Sapientia, O Oriens, and O Emmanuel.
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
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 antiphon draws us into the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, parts of which are quoted almost word for word in the first half of the antiphon: "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, the first-born before all creatures" (Sirach 24:3a); "She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well [Lat. suaviter]" (Wisdom 8:1).
Something that we need to bear in mind with the O Antiphons is that they do not just quote or point us towards specific biblical texts. They guide us towards biblical and theological themes. To begin to understand the antiphons—and, indeed, the liturgy of the Church in general—we must enter into the Bible, become ever more familiar with its texts. With the antiphon we are looking at in this case, O Sapientia, we should therefore look not only at the verses explicitly quoted, but also the passages implicit in the antiphon, such as Proverbs 8:
"The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth… When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men." (Proverbs 8:22-23, 27-31)
This personification of wisdom in the Old Testament [7] prepares us for the revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament. John’s Gospel in particular identifies Jesus with the personification of divine wisdom. In the Old Testament, wisdom is "a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty" (Wisdom 7:24); Jesus had glory with the Father before the creation of the world, and manifests that glory to men on earth (John 1:14; 17:5, 22, 24). Wisdom roams the streets, seeking people and crying out to them (Proverbs 1:20-21; 8:1-4; Wisdom 6:16); Jesus searches out people and proclaims his invitation (John 1:43; 5:14; 7:37; 9:35; cf. Luke 19:10). And, quoting Sirach, O Sapientia tells us that wisdom came forth from the mouth of the Most High (Sirach 24:3a); John tells us that not only was Jesus "in the beginning with God", but that he is "the only-begotten Son from the Father" (John 1:1-2, 14; cf. 1 John. 4:2).
This first O Antiphon, then, shows us the "maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible" (Nicene Creed), and reveals to us the Wisdom of God, who is Christ.
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Rising Sun, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
This antiphon occurs on December 21, which here in the northern hemisphere is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It is fitting, then, that on the day when darkness and shadows are at their most prominent in the natural world, the liturgy should call to our minds the light of Christ, the dawning of the Son of God. Indeed, in the Mass, the people of God, led by their priest, face ad orientem together, towards the rising sun, constantly looking for the second coming of Christ in worship, supplication and sacrifice. This is a practice that goes back to the earliest times of the Church, and it is only since the Second Vatican Council that this orientation has been disturbed by the practice of the priest facing the people (without mandate from the Council documents, it should be added. [8]
Even though this potent liturgical symbolism is in urgent need of recovery in the contemporary Church, the texts of the liturgy, especially in Advent, spiritually orient us towards the Rising Sun, the Oriens, Jesus Christ. For example, the epistle in the traditional Roman Rite for the 4th Sunday of Advent is from 1 Corinthians 4, in which we read: "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart." (v. 5; cf. Hebrews 2:3). [9] This theme of illumination and of the Son of God coming in glory permeates the Advent season. And in this O Antiphon, the words sol iustitiae point us towards part of the biblical background for the Lord’s coming: "But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings" (Malachi 4:2a [Vg 3:20]).
It is worth looking at this phrase in the wider context of Malachi, which talks about "the day" of the Lord, the day when he will return, the day when good and evil men alike will be judged by God. The evil, even though they may prosper now (Malachi 3:15), will be burned up by the Lord, and for them that day will be a day of destruction. But the "sun of justice", Jesus Christ, will come and save those who serve the Lord. Advent is not just a preparation to celebrate the first coming of our Saviour into the world, but a time of preparation for his second coming, when his light will expose all our deeds whether we are ready or not (cf. John 3:16-21). And our Lord himself warned us about this coming day:
"Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:34-36)
Addressing Christ as O Oriens is part of the liturgy’s constant help and encouragement for us to orient our lives towards God in this Advent season and receive his grace, in preparation not only to celebrate his first coming at Christmas, but also to be ready for his second coming at the end of time.
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.
O Emmanuel, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Saviour: come to save us, O Lord our God.
The biblical background of this antiphon is familiar to everyone: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14). Emmanuel means "God is with us", so it is fitting that this antiphon comes just before we celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation, that moment in history when the name “Emmanuel” was truly fulfilled.
As well as being a prophecy fulfilled by Jesus, Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah serves another purpose in the context of his Gospel. If we turn to the very last words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20, we read "behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age". We can thus see that the name Emmanuel brackets and surrounds the whole of Matthew’s Gospel. At the beginning, the promise is fulfilled in the most wonderful of ways by our Lord’s incarnation and birth; at the end, this fulfilment is shown to be everlasting by virtue of his death, resurrection and ascension. Indeed, Jesus also tells us in Matthew that "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (18:20). [10] The presence of the Lord in his Church, especially in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, shows that this O Antiphon has a far wider scope than the Advent season. Our preparation to celebrate the Lord’s first coming means that the antiphon has particular significance for Advent, but it also draws us into the present: God is with us now in his Church and Sacraments, so that we might be saved by him.
The O Antiphons and Catholic Spirituality
How, then, can we apply all this in our daily lives? To begin with, we can benefit greatly from the scriptural basis of the O Antiphons. It should be obvious by this point that the antiphons are suffused with scripture and biblical themes. Each of them is an opportunity for us to enter into the Bible, to read the scriptures through the Church’s liturgy—which as Vatican II said, is "the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed" and "the font from which all her power flows" (SC 10)—and also to be led by the scriptures towards "full, conscious and active participation" in the liturgy (SC 14).
Speaking of participation in the liturgy, we should also pay close attention to the liturgical texts of the Advent season, which include the O Antiphons in the Office. The themes of the antiphons also run right throughout the whole of the Advent liturgy. Paying special attention to the liturgy, and familiarising ourselves with the prayers and readings before Mass is a great way to become more open to the graces God gives us in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The O Antiphons can also help us with the sacrament of Confession. In the mid 15th century, a Brigittine priest named Magnus Unnonis composed an aid to the fruitful reception of this sacrament, based on the O Antiphons. [11] He used each antiphon to describe the seven "advents" of Christ, leading to an examination of conscience based on the seven deadly sins, which are then contrasted with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1830-1831):
Magnus’ scheme might appear rather artificial to us, but there is much truth in his pastoral application of the antiphons to the sacrament of Confession. Each of them can fruitfully be used to help us in our daily examination of conscience at the end of the day. For over the course of the seven days before Christmas, through the O Antiphons we implore Christ to save us (Emmanuel), deliver us (Adonai), redeem us (Radix Jesse), teach and enlighten us (Sapientia, Oriens). What areas of our lives are in particular need of his grace in this regard? When have we refused to be taught by him? Where in our lives do we need Jesus to dispel the darkness of our sins, to be forgiven and be led by the help of his grace to "sin no more", as we pray in the traditional Act of Contrition after Confession (cf. John 8:11)?
There is plenty more that can be said about the O Antiphons, and we have really only scratched the surface of what they have to offer us spiritually, but I hope that this brief introduction encourages readers to delve more deeply into the Bible and the liturgy in these last days of Advent.
Appendix: Biblical Allusions in the O Antiphons
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom. (Isaiah 28:29)
I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, the first-born before all creatures. (Sirach 24:3a)
She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well [Lat. suaviter]. (Wisdom 8:1)
For wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things. (Wisdom 7:24)
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. (Proverbs 8:22-23)
O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us. (Isaiah 33:22)
And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel. (Matthew 2:6; cf. Micah 5:2)
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. (Exodus 3:2a)
You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. (Deuteronomy 5:15a; cf. 9:29; 26:8)
He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts (Luke 1:51)
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots… In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1, 10)
And further Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope.” (Romans 15:12; cf. Isaiah 11:10)
Then one of the elders said to me, “Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)
I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star. (Revelation 22:16)
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperuit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Isaiah 22:22; cf. Revelation 3:7)
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. (Psalm 106[107]:13-14)
I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:6b-7)
Thus says the Lord: In a time of favour I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, ‘Come forth,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ (Isaiah 49:8-9)
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16; cf. Isaiah 9:2)
To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Isaiah 61:1-2)
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily. (Isaiah 58:8a)
I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star. (Revelation 22:16)
Through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high. (Luke 1:78)
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60:19; cf. Revelation 21:23; 22:5)
But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness [Lat. sol iustitiae] shall rise, with healing in its wings. (Malachi 4:2a)
O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? (Jeremiah 10:7a)
For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. (Psalm 46[47]:7-8)
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. (Revelation 1:4-5)
And I will move all nations: and the desired of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory: saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:8)
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?” (Matthew 21:42; cf. Psalm 117[118]:22-23; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7)
Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘He who believes will not be in haste.’ (Isaiah 28:16; cf. Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6)
For he is our peace, who has made us [i.e. Jews and Gentiles] both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14)
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
The Lord created man out of earth, and made him into his own image. (Sirach 17:1)
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14)
Take counsel together, but it will come to nought; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:10)
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)
And behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler [Lat. legifer noster], the Lord is our king; he will save us. (Isaiah 33:22)
NOTES
[1] Est igitur summum, inquit, bonum quod regit cuncta fortiter suauiterque disponit ("It is the supreme good, I said, which rules all [things] mightily and sweetly orders them"): Boethius, De consolatio philosophiae, III.12.63-64. Compare the antiphon "O Wisdom" (Dec 17): O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia… ("O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things…")
[2] O Virgo Virginum, quomodo fiet istud? Quia nec primam similem visa es nec habere sequentum. Filiae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini? Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis ("O Virgin of Virgins, how shall this be? For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after. Daughter of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me? The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery").
[3] Sarum was the mediaeval variant of the Roman Rite used in Salisbury from around the 11th century. When the Church of England separated from the Catholic Church, it initially retained the Sarum use until the reign of Edward VI, when it was replaced by the 1549 (and later 1552) Book of Common Prayer. Upon her ascent to the throne in 1553, Mary I restored Sarum, but it was later abolished by Elizabeth I in 1559. Catholic recusants continued to use Sarum, but in the years following the Protestant Reformation it was replaced by the Roman Rite.
[4] Provision is made in the Church of England's Common Worship (2000) only for the seven antiphons that have historically been the norm for the universal Church, and not the eightfold, English local variation.
[5] For example, "when the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Luke 1:78b-79a: cf. O Oriens, O Clavis David), as well as the numerous references to salvation throughout the antiphons and the Benedictus.
[6] The persistent local use of the eighth antiphon O Virgo Virginum (see above) also demonstrates this traditional Marian emphasis in Advent.
[7] As well as Proverbs 8, see also Job 28; Baruch 3:9–4:4; Sirach 1; 4:11-19; 6:18-31; 14:20–15:10; Wisdom 6-10.
[8] For more on the history and liturgical importance of ad orientem, see the study by Uwe Micheal Lang, Turning Towards the Lord: Orientation in Liturgical Prayer (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004). See also Joseph Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000), pp. 74-84.
[9] Note that this epistle is not read in Advent in the Novus Ordo, instead being transferred (in the Proper of Time) to the 8th Sunday per annum (Year A) and Friday in Week 22 per annum (Year II).
