A Medieval Liturgical Commentary on the O Antiphons (Part 1)

We are now more than two-thirds of the way through Advent, and yesterday, the Church begin to sing the famous O antiphons at Vespers. These are one of the most loved features of the Church’s liturgy, and for good reason; the texts are especially rich in references to the Old Testament prophecies of the Divine Redeemer and His coming for the salvation of the human race, and the Gregorian chant with which they are sung is extremely beautiful. The Roman Rite has seven of these, and it of course well known that the first letters of the seven titles (O Sapientia, O Adonai etc.) form an acrostic when read backwards, ERO CRAS, Latin for “Tomorrow I will be.”; this is completed on the last day before the Christmas season formally begins on the evening of the 24th. I have previously explained how they are also arranged to be read forward as a catechism on the history of salvation.

The first six O antiphons in the Antiphonary of Hartker, written at the monastery of St Gallen in Switzerland at the end of the 10th century. (Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 390, p. 40 – Antiphonarium officii, https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/list/one/csg/0390)

When semidoubling antiphons was the norm in the Use of Rome, the O’s were always doubled, and the choir did not sit after they were intoned, as one usually does for the Magnificat antiphon. Various other particular customs were observed in other places. In the very ancient abbey of Fleury, for example, the intonation of each antiphon was assigned to a particular member of the monastic community: O Wisdom to the abbot, O Lord to the prior, O Root of Jesse to the gardener, O Key of David to the cellarer, (who held the key to all of the storehouses), etc. (Martene, De antiquis Ecclesiae ritibus IV.3.3)

The medieval use of Augsburg in Germany contains a particularly interesting enrichment of the liturgy on these days. Each O is accompanied by a special chapter, and a special concluding oration, both of which refer back to it; these form a kind of scriptural and euchological commentary on the much older antiphons. Like many medieval uses, that of Augsburg also added other antiphons to the series, which I will note in another post later this week; here are the chapters and prayers which go with the seven oldest antiphons, those found in the Roman Breviary. At Augsburg, the Os began on December 13th, and so I have noted them here.

December 13 (17 in the Roman Breviary)

Capitulum Ego Sapientia ex ore Altissimi prodivi, primogenita ante om- nem creaturam. Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a generationibus meis implemini.	The Chapter I Wisdom came out of the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before all creatures. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. (Sirach 24, 5 & 26)
Aña O Sapientia, * quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti: attin- gens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.	Aña O Wisdom, * that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from end to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.
Oratio Festinantes, omnipotens Deus, in occursum Filii tui, Domini nostri, nulli impediant actus tereni, sed caelestis sapientiae eruditio faciat nos ejus esse consortes. Qui tecum.	The Prayer Almighty God, let no earthly actions hinder them that ha- ten to meet Thy Son, our Lord, but let the teaching of heavenly wisdom make us His fellow heirs, Who with Thee...

December 14

Capitulum Ecce Deus noster: ecce Domi- nus Deus in fortitudine veniet, et brachium ejus dominabitur: ecce merces ejus cum eo, et opus illius coram illo.	The Chapter Behold our God: behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his re- ward is with him, and his work is before him. (Isaiah 40, 9-10)
Aña O Adonai, * et Dux domus Israël, qui Moysi in igne flam- mae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Si- na legem dedisti: veni ad redi- mendum nos in brachio exten- to.	Aña O Adonai, * and leader of the house of Israel, who didst ap- pear to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and gavest him the Law on Sinai; come thou to redeem us with arm outstretched.
Oratio Deus, qui hominem de lapsu in mortem Unigeniti tui adventu redimisti: praesta, quaesumus; ut qui ejus gloriosam fatentur Incarnationem, ipsius Redemp- toris consortia mereantur: Qui tecum.	The Prayer God, who didst redeem man from the fall unto death by the coming of Thy Only begotten Son; grant, we beseech Thee, that they who confess His glorious Incarnation may merit the fellowship of that very Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with Thee...

December 15

Capitulum Ecce radix Jesse ascendet in salutem populorum: ipsum gentes deprecabuntur: et erit nomen ejus gloriosum.	The Chapter Behold the root of Jesse shall arise for the salvation of the peoples; him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his name shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11, 10)
Aña O Radix Jesse, * qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes depreca- buntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.	Aña O root of Jesse, * that stand- est as an ensign of the peoples, at whom the kings shall shut their mouths, whom the Gentiles shall beseech: come thou to deliver us, delay thou not.
Oratio Festina, ne tardaveris, Domi- ne, Deus noster: et a diaboli- co furore nos potenter libera- re dignare: Qui cum.	The Prayer Hasten, delay Thou not, o Lord, our God; and deign Thou mightily to deliver us from the wrath of the devil. Who with the Father...

The Prophet Isaiah, by Antonio Balestra (1666-1740). “And one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a live coal, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: Behold this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed.” (Isaiah 6, 6-7 – Public domain image from Wikipedia.)

December 16

Capitulum Dedi te in foedus populi, in lucem gentium, ut aperires oculos caecorum, et educe- res de conclusione vinctos, de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris.	The Chapter I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles: that thou may open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoners out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (Isa. 42, 6-7)
Aña O clavis David, * et sceptrum domus Israël; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; clau- dis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo car- ceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.	Aña O key of David, * and sceptre of the house of Israel; who openest, and no man shut- teth; shuttest, and no man open- eth: come thou, and lead forth the prisoner from the prison- house, and him that sitteth in darkness, and in the shadow of death.
Oratio Aurem tuam, quaesumus, Domine, precibus nostris ac- commoda: et mentis nostrae tenebras gratia tuae visita- tionis illustra: Qui vivis.	The Prayer Incline Thy ear, Lord, we be- seech Thee, unto our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation; Who livest.

December 17

Capitulum Orietur vobis timentibus no- men meum sol justitiae, et sanitas in pennis ejus.	The Chapter Unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings. (Malachi 4, 2)
Aña O Oriens, * splendor lu- aeternae, et sol justi tiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.	Aña O Dayspring, * splendor of the light eternal, and sun of justice; come thou, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death.
Oratio Mentes nostras, quaesumus, Domine, gratia tuae visita- tionis illustra: ut esse te lar- giente mereamur et inter prospera humiles, et inter adversa securi. Qui cum.	The Prayer Enlighten our minds, we be- seech Thee, Lord, by the grace of Thy visitation; that of Thy bounty we may merit to be humble in prosperity, and safe in adversity. Who with the Father.

December 18

Capitulum Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Do- minus, et suscitabo David germen justum: et regnabit rex, et sapiens erit, et faciet judicium et justitiam in terra.	The Chapter Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice upon the earth. (Jeremiah 23, 5)
Aña O Rex gentium, * et desi- deratus earum, lapisque angu- laris, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.	Aña O King of the gentiles, * and the Desire thereof, and cornerstone that makest of twain one: come, to save man, whom Thou didst make from the mud of the earth.
Oratio Excita, quaesumus, Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni: ut ab imminentibus peccatorum nostrorum periculis, te mere- amur protegente eripi, te libe- rante salvari: Qui vivis.	The Prayer Stir up Thy strength, o Lord, we beseech Thee, and come; that we may merit to be deli- vered from the imminent dan- gers of our sins by Thee our protector, and saved by Thee our liberator. Who livest.

December 19

Capitulum Dominus enim judex noster, Dominus legifer noster, Do- minus rex noster, ipse sal- vabit nos.	The Chapter For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: he will save us. (Isaiah 33, 22)
Aña O Emmanuel, * Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Do- mine, Deus noster.	Aña O Emmanuel, * our King and Lawgiver, longing of the Gentiles, and Savior thereof: come Thou to save us, o Lord our God.
Oratio Omnipotens Christe, Unige- genite Dei, propitius ad sal- vandum populum in te cre- dentem veni: ut benignitate solita ab omni dubietate et metu temporis nos jubeas liberari: Qui cum Deo Patre.	The Prayer Christ Almighty, Onlybegotten Son of God, of Thy mercy come Thou to save the people that believeth in Thee; that by Thy wonted kindliness, Thou mayest command us to be freed of every doubt, and fear of our times. Who with the Father...

The translations of the Scriptural passages are taken from the Douay-Rheims version; where the quotation is different from the actual words of Scripture (a common enough feature of medieval liturgical texts), I have placed the changed words in italics. The translations of the antiphons are based on those in the English version of the Roman Breviary by the Marquess of Bute, with many modifications; those of the prayers are my own. The Chapter which accompanies O Radix Jesse is based on Isaiah 11, 10, but is actually quoted from a responsory of the Third Sunday of Advent. Likewise, the prayer which accompanies O Clavis David is that of the Third Sunday of Advent, and that which accompanies O Rex gentium is that of the First Sunday.

A 15th century stained glass window of Augsburg Cathedral, showing the Coronation of the Virgin Mary at top, the Annunciation on the lower left, and the Birth of Christ on the lower right.