The seven O Antiphons are short, beautiful gems of prayers that are chanted at Vespers the week before Christmas. There is one for each day, and they all reflect the longing of the captive people for their Savior. I discovered them through the Christmas Novena from Women for Faith and Family, which we have been praying since I was 7 years old. Here is the novena (it was supposed to start yesterday...unfortunately we forgot about it. :P):
All: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. +
Our Father... Hail Mary...
Father: O Lord, Open my lips.
All: And my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
Father: O God, come to my assistance.
All: O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia.
Father: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
All: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
Eldest child: Rejoice, O Daughter of Sion, and exult, O Daughter of Jerusalem.
All: The Lord our Coming King, hasten to adore.
Eldest child: Behold, He that is God and man shall come forth from the house of David, His Father, to sit upon His throne, and you shall see Him and your heart shall rejoice.
All: Hasten to adore.
Eldest child: Behold, the Lord shall come, our Protector, the Holy One of Israel, bearing on His head the crown of the Kingdom.
All: The Lord Our Coming King, hasten to adore.
Eldest child: The Lord will descend, as rain on the field. His justice shall rise in those days, and all the kings of the earth shall adore Him, all nations shall serve Him.
All: Hasten to adore.
Eldest child: A child shall be born to us, and He shall be called the God of strength. Bethlehem, city of the Highest God, out from you shall go forth the ruler of Israel, and peace will be on the earth, when He shall have come.
All: The Lord our coming King, hasten to adore.
Father : Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
All: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
All: The Lord, our Coming King. Hasten to adore.
All: Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is nigh: behold, He will come to save us, alleluia, alleluia!
Father: Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult. Praise the Lord, you mountains.
All: Let the mountains break forth into gladness, and the hills with justice.
Father: For the Lord shall come and to the poor He shall show mercy.
All: Drop down dew, you heavens, from above and let the clouds rain down the Just One;
Father: Let the earth be opened and bud forth the Savior.
All: Be mindful of us, O Lord, and visit us in Your salvation.
Father: Show to us, O Lord, Your mercy, and grant us your salvation.
All: Come, O Lord, in peace visit us that with a perfect heart we may rejoice before You.
Father: Come, O Lord, do not tarry; do away with the offenses of Your people.
All: Come and show to us Your countenance, O Lord. You sit upon the cherubim.
Father: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
All: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
All : Blow ye the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is nigh; behold, He will come to save us, alleluia, alleluia.
Reading [Isaiah 35:1-7a ] Mother: A reading from the prophet Isaiah: The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the rose it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the weak knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.
All: Thanks be to God.
(On Dec. 16, continue: "Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel, Alleluia, Alleluia." Each day thereafter until Christmas, say the O Antiphon of the day.)
The Magnificat
[Luke 1:46-55 RSV] Father: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
All: For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,
Father: For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
All: And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
Father: He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
All: He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted those of low degree;
Father: He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
All: He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.
Father: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his posterity forever.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Father: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
All: (repeat the O Antiphon of the day)
Father: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Father: Let us pray. Stir up Thy power and come, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and with great might help us. May our deliverance, which our sins impede, be hastened by the help of Thy grace and the forgiveness of Thy mercy. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
All: Amen.
Father: Let us bless the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Father: May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
All: Amen.
All: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. +
To order copies of the novena, go to the WFF website.I thought I would post one antiphon on my blog each day until December 23, along with drawings I did several years ago and the corresponding verse of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"- the words of each verse are based on one of the O Antiphons.
So here is today's!
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.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
1 comment:
Thank you for reminding me about the O Antiphons! I nearly forgot! Well, I would have remembered later tonight, but I would have forgot to put them on the Prayers and Petitions blog. =)
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