PRO TEMPORE

ANTIPHONAE MAIORES

The Greater Antiphons

The seven Greater O Antiphons (December 17-23) are sung at Vespers in the final week before Christmas, each addressing Christ under a Messianic title: O Sapientia, O Adonai, O Radix Jesse, O Clavis David, O Oriens, O Rex Gentium, O Emmanuel. Reading the initial letters backwards spells 'ERO CRAS' ('I will come tomorrow'), a hidden announcement of Christ's arrival. These antiphons date from at least the 8th century and form the basis for the hymn 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel.'

LATINE
17 Decembris — O SAPIENTIA
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
18 Decembris — O ADONAI
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.
19 Decembris — O RADIX JESSE
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
20 Decembris — O CLAVIS DAVID
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.
21 Decembris — O ORIENS
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.
22 Decembris — O REX GENTIUM
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
23 Decembris — O EMMANUEL
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
ENGLISH
December 17 — O WISDOM
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.
December 18 — O ADONAI
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.
December 19 — O ROOT OF JESSE
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.
December 20 — O KEY OF DAVID
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.
December 21 — O DAYSPRING
O Dayspring, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
December 22 — O KING OF THE NATIONS
O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.
December 23 — O EMMANUEL
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
NOTA
FONS
Breviarium Romanum (1962)
USUS
Vespers, December 17-23 (one per day)
CONTEXT
Dating from at least the 8th century, these antiphons form the basis for the hymn 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel.' The acrostic ERO CRAS is an ancient liturgical device.