Image from the massive Ghent altarpiece, "The Adoration of the Lamb" by Hubert and Jan van Eyck at St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium. Wiki has the whole altarpiece, except for missing parts, and is worth a look.
The well-known carol, “O come, O come, Emmanuel,” provides just such a passageway linking the old and the new. The carol’s familiar names for Christ are based on the Advent Antiphons—the “Great O’s”—which date back possibly to the sixth century. These antiphons—short devotional texts chanted before and after a psalm or canticle—were sung before and after the Magnificat, the Song of Mary, at Vespers from December 16 through December 23. Each of the antiphons greets the Messiah and ends with a petition of hope. The simple refrain of the carol, “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!” sets the tone for this Advent time of waiting and expectation.
From "Hasten the Kingdom: Praying the O Antiphons of Advent" by Mary Winifred, C.A. (Liturgical Press, 1996).
From Speaking to the Soul, posted by Vicki Black at the Episcopal Café.
Over the next several days, beginning tomorrow, I plan to post each day on the "O Antiphon" of the day.
Image from Fish Eaters.
O how I look forward to this.
ReplyDeleteThat should be a GREAT series of posts. I'll check in every day. Lindy too.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Rowan
O Folks, calm down, please. Thanks for the vote of confidence without seeing the evidence, but don't set your expectations too high.
ReplyDeleteLove back to you both.
The Os actually start on Dec. 17, but in the old English usage they started on Dec. 16 and added on Dec. 23 "O Virgin of virgins."
ReplyDeleteLooking forward! Thanks for your ministry to and with us, dear Mimi.
ReplyDeleteYour travelin' fan
Ormonde, I'm following the Sarum Rite for the dates.
ReplyDeleteJane, thanks.
I tell everyone, "Don't over-expect".
P.S. LOVE the O Antiphons. Can't stand the "O Come Emmanuel" hymn and its supersessionist theology of verse 1 and the refrain. I know I'm going to make enemies saying this, but there it is. See this resource, which I am going to post at my place later too.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you again, in advance, for your meditations on the O Antiphons. What a rich Advent community we have. May the waiting world be richer for it.
Jane, I will be using RCC resources myself. Nothing wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteI grow weary of "O come..." myself.
Sarum Rite? O Antiphons?
ReplyDeleteO yes! Bless you!
RR, I'm told that Sarum Use is the proper term. I've had help with this, and I'm not knowledgeable about the "O Antiphons", except that I know that I love them. However, imperfect this comes out, it is a labor of love.
ReplyDeleteSarum Use? Sarum Rite? Forgive me. Grandmere, it is a transatlantic misunderstanding! And I'm afraid there are too many of those.
ReplyDeleteRR, I wasn't correcting you. I said it first, but then I went to a RCC website which informed me that Sarum Use is the proper term. Whatever. I never heard of Sarum until I started working on the O Anitphons. You can't imagine the depths of my ignorance about churchy terminology.
ReplyDeleteWhat a GREAT idea!
ReplyDeleteI am loving poking around the internet seeing all the reflections and resources about the wonderful O Antiphons.
ReplyDeleteI have posted four resources at http://www.liturgy.co.nz
Diane, thanks.
ReplyDeleteLiturgy, welcome. You do have many resources at your site. I see that you do not have music for the "O Virgo Virginum" antiphon. Nor do I. The YouTubes are helpful, aren't they? I'll go poke around your site more later.