One tradition of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas Day, has long held a particular mystique for me. It’s called the “O Antiphons.”

“Antiphons” are short prayers that are chanted, said, or sung. Ever since the 8th Century CE, Roman Christian brothers and sisters in the Religious Orders (monks and nuns) have said this special set of prayers during Vespers 1 every evening from Dec. 17th to the night before Christmas Eve. One version of them forms the verses of the Advent song, “Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Each two- or three-sentence prayer links a promise from the Bible prophet Isaiah 2 to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Those passages reflect generation after generation of people longing for the coming of the Messiah, or Christ. Isaiah’s poetic images offer rich visual symbols that point to the depth of God’s love for us as revealed through Jesus.

Here are even shorter paraphrases of the O Antiphons: 3
Dec. 17 – O Wisdom of our God Most High, guide of creation, teach us the way to knowledge. 4
Dec. 18 – O Lord of the House of Israel, giver of the Law, rescue us. 5
Dec. 19 – O Root of Jesse’s tree, sign of God’s love, save us. 6
Dec. 20 – O Key of David, who opens the gates to God’s eternal Kingdom, free those enslaved by darkness. 7
Dec. 21 – O Radiant Dawn, eternal Light and Sun of Justice, shine on those who live in the shadow of death. 8
Dec. 22 – O King of All Nations and Peoples, save humanity, whom You formed out of the earth. 9
Dec. 23 – O God-Is-With-Us (Emmanuel), come save us, our Sovereign, who once formed us out of the dust. 10

Together, these prayers point to a sense of fullness of time 11 and fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth as God’s Son. Today is Dec. 17th, so I plan to say an O Antiphon each evening. Sometime during this week, you might join me by singing the song, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Your partner in faith,

Betsy Schwarzentraub

P.S.: I purchased some beautiful visuals for these antiphons from BeeRibboned at Etsy.

1 – In the system of Canonical Hours, the short service of Vespers takes place sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight. For more about the meaning of Vespers and the Canonical Hours, see Betsy Schwarzentraub, Tossed in Time Expanded Edition: Steering by the Christian Seasons, beginning on page 119.

2 – Isaiah’s ministry began around 850 BCE, when he predicted the Exile of the people Israel. Isaiah’s followers continued his prophetic message into the beginning of the next century, when the Jews finally were allowed to return to their homeland. The Book of Isaiah in the Bible includes messages from that entire legacy.

3 – See the phrases from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers cited in Katherine Bogner, “The ‘O Antiphons’ of Advent.”

4 – Basis: Isaiah 11:2-3 then Luke 2:46f.

5 – See Isaiah 33:22 then Matthew 21:9.

6 – Basis: Isaiah 11:1 then Matthew 1:1-17.

7 – See Isaiah 22:22 then Luke 1:32.

8 – Basis: Isaiah 9:2 then Matthew 24:29-32.

9 – See Isaiah 9:6 then Luke 1:33.

10 – Basis: Isaiah 7:14 then Matthew 1:22ff.

11 – Jennifer Gregory Miller, “The O Antiphons: The Fullness of Time,” Catholic Culture, Dec. 16, 2019.