The "O" Antiphons

The seven "O" Antiphons are ancient texts developed for use during the last seven days of Advent (December 17–23). Eventually these antiphons were gathered into the well-known hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Today these ancient prayers can be used in a variety of ways during the season of Advent, as the following examples suggest.

The Traditional Texts First antiphon, December 17 O Wisdom, O holy Word of God (Sir. 24:3), you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care (Wisd. of Sol. 8:1). Come and show your people the way to salvation (Isa. 40:3–5a). Second antiphon, December 18 O sacred Lord of ancient Israel (Exod. 6:2–3), who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush (Exod. 3:2), who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free (Exod. 6:6). Third antiphon, December 19 O Flower of Jesse's stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples (Isa. 11:10; Rom. 15:12); kings stand silent in your presence (Isa. 5:15); the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid (Hab. 2:3; Heb. 10:37). Fourth antiphon, December 20 O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel, controlling at your will the gate of heaven (Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7): 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 (Isa. 42:7; Ps. 107:14; Luke 1:79). Fifth antiphon, December 21 O Radiant Dawn (Isa. 58:8), splendor of eternal light (Heb. 1:3), sun of justice (Mal. 4:2): come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:78–79; Isa. 9:2). Sixth antiphon, December 22 O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart (Hag. 2:8); O Keystone (Isa. 28:16) of the mighty arch of man (Eph. 2:14): come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust (Gen. 2:7). Seventh antiphon, December 23 O Emmanuel (Isa. 7:14, 8:8), king and lawgiver (Isa. 33:22), desire of the nations (Gen. 49:10), Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God. A Traditional Form of the "O" Antiphons for Use as a Call to Worship O Wisdom proceeding from the mouth of the highest, reaching from eternity to eternity and disposing all things with strength and sweetness: Come, teach us the way of knowledge. O Lord and Leader of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the burning bush and delivered the law to him on Sinai: Come, redeem us by your outstretched arm. O Root of Jesse, you stand as a sign of the people; before you rulers do not open their mouths; to you all nations shall pray: Come and deliver us, do not delay. O Key of David and Scepter of Israel, you open and no one shuts; you shut and no one opens: Come and release from prison those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. O Dayspring, Splendor of Eternal Light and Sun of Righteousness: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. O King of nations, Come and save those whom you formed of clay. O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expectation and Savior of the nations: Come and save us, O Lord our God. An Expanded Form of the "O" Antiphons with Spoken Reflections or Homilies ANTIPHON ONE: O WISDOM Leader: O Wisdom, All: You come forth from the mouth of the Most High. You create the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner. O come to teach us the way of truth. A reading from the book of Sirach (24:1–3): Wisdom will praise herself, and will glory in the midst of her people. In the assembly of the Most High she will open her mouth, and in the presence of his host she will glory (saying): "I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist." Meditation: From at least the time of Solomon, the Hebrew people saw God's wisdom personified as a woman whose house is set in order. Her every word is a gem of insight meant to lead all Creation on the path back to the Creator. St. John the Divine says that Jesus Christ is God's ultimate Word of Wisdom. And though given birth by a woman, it is he who becomes the very womb of God from which we receive birth into a new realm. He would gather us as a hen gathers her chicks. He would celebrate our distinctiveness as male and female, old and young, Anglo and people of other color. Yet he would set our world in order by destroying any attempt to use difference to support attitudes of indifference or destruction. For in Christ Jesus, as Paul reminds us, all are indeed one (Gal. 3:28) even as all creation cries out in expectation for the final day of unity in him (Rom. 8:22). Leader: Behold, the Name of the Lord comes from afar. All: Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. All Sing O Come, O Wisdom from high, Who orders all things mightily, To us the path of knowledge show; And teach us in her ways to go, Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. ANTIPHON TWO: O ADONAI Leader: O Adonai and leader of Israel, All: You appeared to Moses in a burning bush and you gave him the law on Sinai. O come and save us with your mighty power. A reading from the book of Exodus (19:18–19):Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it like fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. Meditation: Adonai, it is the Hebrew word for Lord. The personal name of God was far too holy to be uttered by the Israelites as they remembered the events at Mt. Sinai and Moses' returning with the Law on tablets of stone. They would simply call God Adonai and not risk tampering with the name of one who creates out of nothing by the passing of his breath across the emptiness of space—one who could so utterly destroy with the same breath that not even a fine powdery residue would testify to the former presence of a transgressor. Trembling before the God who burns in bushes which are left unconsumed, parts waters, and shakes mountains, they would simply call him Adonai. The first creed of the church was simply this: "Jesus Christ is Adonai." In him the fullest glory of heaven is revealed as the babe trembles in its mother's arms, the boy craves knowledge in the presence of the temple's scribes, and the fire of compassion burns in the heart of the man—even as he mounts the hill of Golgotha and the requirements of Moses' Commandments are fulfilled on this second mountain in the fiery glory of Love's sacrifice. We pray that Adonai might teach us the law of love. Leader: Prepare the way of the Lord, Alleluia! All: Make his paths straight, Alleluia! All Sing O come, O come, thou Lord of might, Who to your tribes on Sinai's height In ancient times once gave the law, In cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. ANTIPHON THREE: O STOCK OF JESSE Leader: O Stock of Jesse, All: You stand as a sign for the nations; kings fall silent before you whom the people acclaim. O come to deliver us and do not delay. A reading from the book of Isaiah (11:1, 10):A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit…. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. Meditation: Jesse is the father of King David and, therefore, the progenitor of Israel's monarchy—a monarchy cut to the stump during Isaiah's prophetic years. Isaiah is specific: The hopes and dreams of Israel lie in the loins of one long dead. Yet the imagery is confusing. Will it be a new branch and flower from ancient Jesse's line, or will it be the very root that once gave him life that will stand as a sign for the nations? Which will it be? The answer is, of course, one of paradox: both—root and fruit. The Lord who once worked in and through his instrument Jesse will take on his very flesh and be born a distant grandchild. The sign for the nations will be one who is at once human and divine, servant and monarch, taproot of grace and flower of holiness. Thus, his bare-branched cross becomes for his followers the sign and bud of life. Here we pray that we may be so rooted in his gifts of absolute forgiveness, love, and life that we may be delivered from eternal death and, paradoxically, bear abundantly the fruit of righteousness. Leader: Rejoice greatly, O Jerusalem. All: Behold, your king comes. All Sing O come, O Rod of Jesse's stem, From every foe deliver them That trust thy mighty power to save, And give them vict'ry o'er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. ANTIPHON FOUR: O KEY OF DAVID Leader: Key of David and Scepter of Israel, All: What you open no one else can close again; what you close no one can open. O come to lead the captive from prison; free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. A reading from the book of Isaiah (22:22) and the Revelation (3:7):I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David ….What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Meditation: Isaiah's prophecy finds fulfillment in the words of St. John's revelation; only one man can truly be entrusted with the Key to the Kingdom of God—the realm of which Israel is yet a sign anticipating a fuller revelation. Others had been tried and had failed—even the most recommended. For they quickly forgot their role as servant of God and became consumed by how they might open treasures for themselves while shutting others out. Only one could bear the key of David. Jesus Christ shoulders the cross and thus bears the key of David. He is, in fact, that very key. His life opens to us the gates of eternal life and his triumph over death's sting slams forever shut the doors to perdition. No man but one is worthy to bear the key of David. Yet again, God exceeds himself in generosity. To us, to you and me, his church, our Lord says, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19). Here we pray that the Lord may so unfetter our souls that we may rejoice to apply the key of the gospel to others imprisoned in dungeons of guilt and despair. Leader: Come, Lord, and make no delay. All: Loosen the bonds of your people Israel. All Sing O come, O Key of David, come And open wide our heavenly home. Make safe the way that leads on high And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel. ANTIPHON FIVE: O DAYSPRING Leader: O Rising Sun, All: You are the splendor of eternal light and the sun of justice. O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. A reading from the book of Isaiah (9:2) and the letter to the Hebrews (1:3):The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned ….The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Meditation: As Advent draws to its conclusion and we long for the candlelit splendor of Christmas, we recall the promise of the prophet Malachi, "For those who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." It is no coincidence that the church has chosen to celebrate the birth of her Lord at the time of year when darkness is longest and light is shortest. In so doing, we make known our belief that even in a world darkened by personal sin and institutional oppression, there is reason to hope. When the wings of the most high overshadow us, it is not darkness that is brought, but light. And the gray coldness of human isolation is strangely warmed into a community that reflects his radiant love. Here we pray that our eyes may sparkle anew in holy amazement as we behold the one who is the very Word of God become a lamp for our feet and a light to our path. Leader: Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined. All: Our God shall come, Alleluia! All Sing O come, O Dayspring from on High, And cheer us by your drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadow put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. ANTIPHON SIX: O KING OF NATIONS Leader: O King whom all the peoples desire, All: You are the cornerstone which makes all one. O come and save man whom you made from clay. A reading from the book of Isaiah (28:16) and the letter to the Ephesians (2:21–22): So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts in him will never be dismayed." … In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Meditation: It is true that many decaying monuments stand in memory of monarchs and prelates long ago deceased. And even the most glorious ones seem cold and pulseless apart from the human activity echoing in marble chambers. It was this sense that caused one Roman cleric to remark, "The Vatican seems to be little more than a cemetery for dead popes." Nevertheless, we humans seem to believe that great movements and magnificent edifices are the substance of any real kingdom. The testimony of Scripture is quite to the contrary. The armies of God are angels unseen and the temple of God is not made of brick and mortar but of human souls cemented together by divine love. Jesus Christ is both the cornerstone, which makes our spiritual foundation secure, and the capstone, which is our pinnacle of glory. Here we pray that his unseen kingdom, which is not of this world, may be manifest in and through our spiritual community, that the prayer of Jesus to the Father may find its answer in our midst, "Father … may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." Leader: Behold, the Lord shall come with all his saints with him. Alleluia! All: And in that day the light shall be great. Alleluia! All Sing O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; O bid our sad divisions cease, And be for us our King of peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. ANTIPHON SEVEN: O EMMANUEL Leader: O Emmanuel, All: You are our king and judge, the one whom the peoples await and their Savior. O come and save us, Lord, our God. A reading from the book of Isaiah (7:14):Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Meditation: Immanuel. The name is a compound of two Hebrew words—immanu, meaning "with us" and El, meaning "God." God with us. Immanuel is but one appellation for God's Son. It is, however, the premier title. For in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the covenant promise made so long ago to Moses and Israel is most radically realized. "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." "Immanu-el," Immanuel, it is a word of comfort for those whose hearts are on a pilgrimage. Immanuel, it is the name for the God who leads us on that pilgrimage. Immanuel, this is the name for the one who is at one and the same time provision for the journey and the journey's destination. Here we pray that Immanuel will continue to sustain the church terrestrial until the day we complete our sojourn and, leaving behind the exile of temptation and sin, join the church celestial. Leader: Drop down, O heavens, from above and let the skies pour down righteousness. All: Let the earth open and bring forth salvation. All Sing O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. The "O" Antiphons as a Form of Prayer Leader: O wisdom, O holy word of God, you watch over all creation with a strong and tender eye. People: Come and lead your people into the way to salvation. Leader: O sacred Lord of the Hebrew people, who revealed yourself to Moses in the burning bush and delivered the holy law to him on Mount Sinai. People: Come, stretch forth your mighty arm and set us free. Leader: O flower of Jesse's stem, you have grown up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence and all the nations bow down to worship you. People: Come, let nothing keep you from coming quickly to our aid. Leader: O key of David, O royal power of Israel, you who control the gate of heaven, come, destroy the prison of death and release those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. People: Come, release your captive people into freedom. Leader: O radiant dawn, you who are the Splendor of eternal light and the son of justice. People: Come, let your light shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Leader: O king of all people, the one who is the only joy of every human heart, O cornerstone who binds all people together. People: Come and save the people you fashioned from dust. Leader: O Emmanuel, the King and lawgiver, the desire of all the nations, the Savior of all people. People: Come and set us free, O Lord our God.