Since the eighth century the O Antiphons have been used by many liturgical Christian traditions during vespers the last seven days of Advent (December 17-23). These O Antiphons became the basis for the popular Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
“Their predominant theme is messianic, stressing the hope of the Savior's coming. Jesus is invoked by various titles, mainly taken from the prophet Isaiah. The sequence progresses historically, from the beginning, before creation, to the very gates of Bethlehem….In their structure, each of the seven antiphons follows the same pattern, resembling a traditional liturgical prayer. Each O Antiphon begins with an invocation of the expected Messiah, followed by praise of him under one of his particular titles. Each ends with a petition for God's people, relevant to the title by which he is addressed, and the cry for him to ‘Come’.” (Jeanne Kun, “Praising the Names of Jesus: The Antiphons of Advent”)
Beginning tomorrow, I will post daily the original English translations of the original Latin O Antiphons, followed by a contemporary re-imagining or “theological translation” from Thom Turner on Everyday Liturgy blog (http://everydayliturgy.com/o-antiphons-a-theological-translation/). I will also include several suggested scriptures for each O Antiphon, as well as any other resources I find along the way.
Other Resources:
Extended liturgies for the O Antiphons
The Antiphons of Advent (Readings & meditations for each day)
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