Keeping Up With the News - What on Earth are the O Antiphons?
O Antiphons, Blue Christmas service,
The Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, Evening Prayer, also know as Vespers, always includes the Magnificat. Each day, the Magnificat is preceded by a short verse or “antiphon” that links the prayer to the feast of the day or the season of the year. In the last seven days of Advent (December 17-24), the antiphons before the Magnificat are very special. Each begins with the exclamation “O” and ends with a plea for the Messiah to come. As Christmas approaches the cry becomes increasingly urgent. The symbols around the circumference of the image above are designed from the traditional images for the O Antiphons. In past years, I attended the O Antiphon service at St Marks Cathedral in Seattle. It was a very moving experience.
It is in the Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” that most of us are introduced to the seven traditional “O Antiphons”. However they are actually more than a thousand years old. They have long been used at the very end of Advent (Dec. 17-23) Each Antiphon highlights a different title of the Messiah and also refers to the prophecy of Isaiah foretelling the coming of the Messiah. The great “O Antiphons” became very popular in the Middle Ages when it became traditional to ring the great bells of the church each evening as they were being sung. If you are unable to attend an O Antiphon service, you might like to watch this series of videos which go through each of the daily O antiphons. You might also like to download this O Antiphon Prayer Companion to help guide you through your exploration of these important prayers.
At most churches there is a lot happening the week. Many churches have realized that Festivals of Carols, celebrations of Christmas, and children’s pageants do not meet everyone’s needs however. For those who have lost loved ones like I have, lost a job, or home or are struggling financially or with illness this season is anything but cheerful. To fill this gap, churches offer a Blue Christmas service, a Service of Solace or Longest Night. People who are not having a very merry Christmas, along with friends who support them, are invited to come and sit with one another in a liturgy that speaks of the love of God for the grieving. This post, has a number of resources and links for Blue Christmas services that you might like to explore. I am very much looking forward to our Blue Christmas celebration at church as it gives me a chance to grieve not only my brother’s passing but also the death of so many around the world from the violence of war and climate change.
In my Meditation Monday - Stable Or Home Why Does it Matter this week I explained my contention that Jesus was not born in a stable but in a family home. I believe that where we think he was born really affects who we are willing to welcome into our lives and our homes and how we follow Christ in our own lives.
My spiritual practice on Friday was an Advent Labyrinth , a wonderful practice for this season. I also talked about Advent spirals which can provide a great alternative. I have also posted 2 beautiful Advent poems as notes on Substack that I think you might enjoy. One by Jan Richardson and one by Ana Lisa De Jong
On Godspacelight, in her post Freerange Friday - Receive the Gift. Lilly Lewin relates how she returned home from a trip to England last week with a flooded kitchen and her house is still in a mess, so she is giving herself the gift of a slow Christmas. Carol Dixon shared a second post on Rememberings one that is very appropriate as we lament the sorrows of the past year.
What is your favourite event of this last week before Christmas? In what way does it make the coming of Christ special for you?
On this long dark night,
we await the coming of Christ.
We long for the light of his presence,
With us, around us and in us.
When our souls are deeply troubled,
and our hearts break with the weight of sorrow,
may our grief be seasoned with love,
and our sorrow be buoyed by hope.
In our times of God-forsakenness and estrangement,
May we gaze on the innocent One,
made perfect through suffering.
and see in him our vulnerable God,
who saves in weakness and pain.
May our suffering empty us of pride,
and lead us to true joy
our only security,
in Christ in whom we see
the infinite depths of God’s grace and love.
Thank you for this thoughtful and meaningful post, Christine. Your descriptions of these alternative Advent and Christmas practices is so helpful! My condolences on the passing of your brother.
The O Antiphons are not well known in my part of the world, but I discovered them a few years back. I haven't ever been able to attend a service where they are used, but I have found them useful as inspirations for my personal meditations.
My Advent and Christmas resource for this year was based on linking the Lectionary readings from the Gospel of Luke with the seven O Antiphons. It's called 'The Songs of Our Longings: Meeting Christ in Ancient Advent Chants'.
It's available here: https://bit.ly/3YASDlS
Wishing you a comforting and hopeful Christmas.