The Church’s “other” liturgy, the Liturgy of the Hours (LOH), also known as the “Breviary” or the “Divine Office” consists of hymns, psalms, and short readings from the Scriptures, and is prayed daily by priests and religious. Until recently the LOH was always prayed in Latin, and although the prayer is now much more accessible to all in translation, some of the more subtle artistry buried deep within it has been obscured.
Every evening in the LOH the Church prays the “Magnificat”, Mary’s response of thanksgiving and praise to the news of her maternity (Luke 1:46-55). The “Magnificat” is always accompanied by an “antiphon” or “refrain” related to the liturgical season or the prayers of the day. The antiphons from December 17th through 23rd have come to be called the “Great” antiphons or the “O” antiphons because each begins with the exclamation “O” followed by one of Christ’s messianic titles:
Dec.17th “O Sapientia...” (O Wisdom which comes forth from the mouth of the Most High...). See Wisdom 7:27-8:1.
Dec.18th “O Adonai...” (O Lord and leader of Israel who appeared to Moses...) Dec. 19th “O Radix Jesse...” (O Root of Jesse, you stand as a sign among the peoples...). See Isaiah 11:1 and Jeremiah 23:5-6.
Dec. 20th “O Clavis David...” (O Key of David, you who open and no one closes...). See Isaiah 22:22 and Rev. 3:7.
Dec. 21st “O Oriens...” (O Rising Sun...)
Dec. 22nd “O Rex gentium...” (O King of the nations...)
Dec. 23rd “O Emmanuel...” (O God-With-Us...). See Isaiah 7:14.
Following the title, the text of the antiphon continues with a plea that Christ will come to save us, redeem us, free us from sin, etc. Besides being a mini-course in salvation history, the Latin text also contains a hidden treasure for those attentive enough to unearth it. The initial letters of each title spell out a message, seemingly from the Redeemer Himself, that only becomes clear as the last days of Advent are prayed to a close. Proceeding from the last (Dec. 23rd) to the first (Dec. 17th), the initial letters of the titles spell ERO CRAS, two Latin words meaning, “I will be [with you] tomorrow”. The Advent Hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is an English version of these “O” antiphons.
