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The Annunciation
The Annunciation

The O Antiphons are antiphons used at daily prayer in the evenings of the last days of Advent in various liturgical Christian traditions. This article is about the musical term See Antiphon (person the orator of ancient Greece Advent (from the Latin word la ''adventus'' meaning "coming" is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth

Each antiphon is a name of Christ, one of his attributes mentioned in Scripture. They are:

In the Roman Catholic tradition, the O Antiphons are sung or recited at Vespers from December 17 to December 23 inclusive (but see note below on alternative English usage). Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Wisdom is a concept of personal gaining of Knowledge, Understanding, Experience, discretion and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Jesse or Yishai ( meaning "God's gift" is the father of the Biblical David mentioned in the Books of Samuel of the Hebrew Bible. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Immanuel is also a town in Israel near Ariel. For other articles please see Emanuel (disambiguation Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city

In the Church of England they have traditionally been used as antiphons to the Magnificat at Evening Prayer during this period, and although not printed in the Book of Common Prayer, have long been part of secondary Anglican liturgical sources, such as the English Hymnal. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services Evening Prayer is a Liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition such as the Continuing Anglican Movement and The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The English Hymnal was published in 1906 for the Church of England under the editorship of Percy Dearmer and Ralph Vaughan Williams. More recently they have found a place in primary liturgical documents throughout the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England's Common Worship liturgy. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions

Use of the O Antiphons also occurs in many Lutheran churches. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther

The hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel (in Latin, Veni Emmanuel) is a lyrical paraphrase of these antiphons. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities O come O come Emmanuel is a translation of the Christian Latin text ("Veni veni Emmanuel" by John Mason Neale in the mid-19th Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. This article is about the musical term See Antiphon (person the orator of ancient Greece

The first letters of the titles taken backwards form a Latin acrostic of "Ero Cras" which translates to "Tomorrow, I will come", mirroring the theme of the antiphons. An acrostic (from the late Greek akróstichon, from ákros, "top" and stíchos, "verse" is a Poem or other Writing

Contents

Origin

Saint Benedict Abbey
Saint Benedict Abbey

The exact origin of the "O Antiphons" is not known. Boethius (480–524/5) made a slight reference to them, thereby suggesting their presence at that time. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (480&ndash524 or 525 was a Christian philosopher of the 6th century Events By Place Europe Odoacer defeats an attempt by Julius Nepos to recapture Italy, and has Julius killed Events 25 June - Battle of Vézeronce: The Franks defeat the Burgundians Events Dionysius Exiguus proposes a calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ At the Benedictine Saint Benedict Abbey abbey of Fleury (now Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire), these antiphons were recited by the abbot and other abbey leaders in descending rank, and then a gift was given to each member of the community. Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire is a commune of the Loiret département, in France. By the eighth century, they are in use in the liturgical celebrations in Rome. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The usage of the "O Antiphons" was so prevalent in monasteries that the phrases "Keep your O" and "The Great O Antiphons" were common parlance. One may thereby conclude that in some fashion the "O Antiphons" have been part of our liturgical tradition since the very early Church.

The Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. [2] If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one—Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia—the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, "Tomorrow, I will come". Therefore Jesus, whose coming Christians have prepared for in Advent and whom they have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to them: "Tomorrow, I will come. " So the "O Antiphons" not only bring intensity to their Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

A number of other antiphons were found in various medieval breviaries. A breviary (from Latin brevis, 'short' or 'concise' is a Liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church [3]

Analysis

The importance of the "O Antiphons" is twofold. First, each one is a title for the Messiah. This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions Secondly, each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Isaiah (; Greek:, Ēsaiās; Arabic: اشعیاء, Ash-ee-yaa; "Salvation of/is YHWH " is The Latin antiphons are from the Breviarium Romanum, with the English versions from the Church of England's Common Worship liturgy. Biblical quotations are from the NRSV. The New Revised Standard Version ( NRSV) of the Bible, released in 1989, is a thorough revision of the Revised Standard Version (RSV

O Sapientia

sapientia
sapientia

Latin:

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

English:

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.

Isaiah had prophesied:

Also compare Sirach 24:3 and Wisdom of Solomon 8:1

This prophecy is also relevant in that it describes the Messiah as "coming forth from the mouth of the Most High", which is very significant in light of the Christian doctrine, rooted in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, according to which Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the Incarnate Word of God the Father. In Christology, the conception that the Christ is the Logos ( λóγος, the Greek for "word" "wisdom" or

O Adonai

The prophet Isaiah
The prophet Isaiah

Latin:

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.

English:

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.

Isaiah had prophesied:

Also compare Exodus 3:2 and Exodus 24:12

O Radix Jesse

Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse

Latin:

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

English:

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.

Isaiah had prophesied:

Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem Micah 5:1. Micah the titular prophet of the Book of Micah, also called "The Morasthite" Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a Also compare Isaiah 45:14, Isaiah 52:15 and Romans 15:12.

O Clavis David

Samuel anointing David
Samuel anointing David

Latin:

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;
qui aperis, et nemo claudit;
claudis, et nemo aperit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

English:

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.

Isaiah had prophesied:

Also compare Isaiah Isaiah 22:22 and Isaiah 42:7.

O Oriens

The Dawn Breaking, the Light of the World
The Dawn Breaking, the Light of the World

Latin:

O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis. The Benedictus (also Song of Zechariah or Canticle of Zachary) given in Gospel of, is one of the three Canticles ref>Along with the

English:

O Sunrise[4],
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Isaiah had prophesied:

Also compare Isaiah 60:1-2 and Malachi 4:2

O Rex Gentium

Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace

Latin:

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.

English:

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

Isaiah had prophesied:

Also compare Isaiah 28:16 and Ephesians 2:14

O Emmanuel

Mary with child
Mary with child

Latin:

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

English:

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Isaiah had prophesied:

(Emmanuel means God is with us). Immanuel is also a town in Israel near Ariel. For other articles please see Emanuel (disambiguation

Alternative English Usage

Although the antiphons and dates shown above have been fairly universally recognised throughout western Christendom, an alternative English medieval practice arose of moving all of the antiphons forward by one day (commencing therefore on 16 December) and adding an additional (eighth) antiphon on 23 December, with the acrostic thus becoming Vero cras, "truly, tomorrow". This is the antiphon O Virgo virginum (O Virgin of virgins), with the following text:

Latin:

O Virgo virginum, quomodo fiet istud?
Quia nec primam similem visa es nec habere sequentem.
Filiae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini?
Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis.

English:

O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be?
For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after.
Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me?
The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery.

Given the English origins of this alternative, it has traditionally been the version used in the Church of England (including Canterbury Cathedral) until modern times, and is the version printed in traditional Church of England liturgical sources including the English Hymnal and New English Hymnal. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a The English Hymnal was published in 1906 for the Church of England under the editorship of Percy Dearmer and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The New English Hymnal is an Anglican Hymn book and liturgical source first published as such in 1986 From 2000, however, the Church of England appears to have taken an official step away from English medieval practice towards the more universal norm, as Common Worship makes provision for the sevenfold version of the antiphons, and not the eightfold version. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent

Antiphons on the Benedictus

Jesus appearing to Thomas the Apostle, from the Maesta by Duccio di Buoninsegna
Jesus appearing to Thomas the Apostle, from the Maesta by Duccio di Buoninsegna

Accompanying the O Antiphons are two Antiphons said at Lauds, on December 21 and 23, also relating to the theme of the upcoming birth of Christ. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Thomas the Apostle, also called Judas Thomas, Doubting Thomas, or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Maestà, the Italian word for "majesty" designates an iconic formula of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, whether or not accompanied Duccio di Buoninsegna (c 1255-1260 &ndash c 1318-1319 was one of the most influential Italian artists of his time Lauds is one of the two "major hours" in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. The first, due to the feast of St Thomas falling on December 21, is traditionally used instead in the commemoration of the feria. Thomas the Apostle, also called Judas Thomas, Doubting Thomas, or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. With the transference of this feast to July 3 in the revised calendar, these are again used in the Liturgy of the Hours as antiphons. This article refers to the Liturgy of the Hours as a specific manifestation of public prayer in the Roman Catholic Church. The Monday through Saturday which fall on the days of the O Antiphons also have their own antiphons for the psalms of Lauds, rather than repeating the antiphons of the previous Sunday, as is otherwise done in Advent.

December 21

Nolite timere: quinta enim die veniet ad vos Dominus noster.

Fear not, for on the fifth day our Lord will come to you.

December 23

Ecce completa sunt omnia, quae dicta sunt per Angelum de Virgine Maria.

Behold, all things are fulfilled, which were spoken by the Angel to the Virgin Mary.

Musical settings

Marc-Antoine Charpentier completed a setting of the O antiphons in the early 1690s. Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - February 24 1704 was a French composer of the Baroque era In the twentieth century, the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt set a German translation of these antiphons for SATB unaccompanied choir, under the title Magnificat Antiphonen. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Arvo Pärt (born 11 September 1935 in Paide, Estonia) (ˈɑr̺vɔ The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers The British composer Bob Chilcott has set the Latin version of these antiphons for SSAATTBB unaccompanied choir, under the title Advent Antiphons. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Bob Chilcott (born 9 April, 1955) is a British choral Composer, conductor, and singer, based in Oxford

Media

External links

References

  1. ^ Charlton T. Lewis, An Elementary Latin Dictionary
  2. ^ According to Prof. Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
  3. ^   "O Antiphons". San Francisco Conservatory of Music, founded in 1917 is a Music school, with an enrollment of about 350 students Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  
  4. ^ Charlton T. Lewis, An Elementary Latin Dictionary
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