The past two years, I sent daily emails in the days leading up to Christmas with meditations on the O Antiphons (more about what those are in a minute). Last year, I debated on whether or not to republish them. This year, I did not. If you received them last year and don’t want them this year, you can delete them. But if you’re like me and need to be reminded of something that you read a whole year ago, I hope they’re helpful.
There is something wonderful this time of year about repetition - we watch the same Christmas movies, participate in the same Christmas activities, tell the same family stories… there’s something to be said about ritual. I find something new to appreciate every time I see It’s A Wonderful Life. And even if I didn’t, well, I’d watch it every year. Because it’s Christmas.
I tend to read the same spiritual reading every Advent. There’s always a new insight or something I didn’t notice last year. After all, we read the same readings at Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours. Repetition isn’t a bad thing.
If you haven’t done anything spiritual for Advent yet, here’s your chance! You can think of it as a mini Bible study as we approach Christmas, delivered straight to your inbox.
For those of you who are new to my email list this year, I hope you enjoy these daily meditations for the first time. Don’t be alarmed. I do not email you daily any other time of the year! So please don’t unsubscribe … just delete them if you don’t want them.
For those of you who were here last year (or the year before that, too), I hope you can enjoy them again. Maybe there’s something new for you.
So without further ado… What are the O Antiphons?
Tomorrow begins the octave before Christmas. While octaves following important feast days (Easter, Christmas, Pentecost) are an important part of our liturgical celebrations, this octave precedes the feast. We are in the homestretch of preparation - we can see the light on the horizon. The Gospel readings at daily Mass begin to tell the story of the birth of Christ as found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
The O Antiphons belong to this time. Each day, all over the world, Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is prayed at Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours). It is preceded by a short verse or prayer called an antiphon. From December 17-23, these antiphons invoke Our Lord using rich biblical titles for the Messiah. You may recognize them from the beloved Advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. They are also prayed as the Alleluia verses at daily Mass during the octave.
The exact origin of the antiphons is unknown, but they are mentioned as early as the 6th century. By the 8th century, they were used in liturgical celebrations in Rome. When the first letter of each (Latin) title is read backwards, the seven spell Ero cras - tomorrow I will be!
Again, beginning tomorrow, I will be sending out short meditations on each of the O Antiphon titles. I hope they are edifying.
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May these O Antiphons increase our expectation and excitement for the upcoming feast of Christmas!
Thank you for sharing these reflections each year, Joan. I'd forgotten about them, but having been reminded, I remember enjoying them. Your reflections may be the same each year, but I'm a bit different. New experiences throughout the course of a year gives me new eyes, new ears -- a different heart -- with which to receive. I pray they refresh you too, and prepare your heart for His coming.