Some Acknowledgements and Thanks regarding the “O Antiphons”
The first person I want to acknowledge and thank is my late brother, David Thorp, for introducing me to the O Antiphons. I also want to thank his wife, Barbara Thorp, for sending me the recording of the talk that David gave at the Thursday Morning Men’s Breakfast in Boston on December 8, 2005. Barbara also provided the photo of David which is displayed during the excerpt of the talk presented each day. I also want to thank Thomas Lester, Director - Archives and Library, Archdiocese of Boston, where David’s papers are archived, for sending me copies of resources that David had accumulated.
I really, really want to thank my brother, Mark Thorp, for doing all the technical work to produce the presentation. I gathered the materials, then he added to the graphics but it was his professional expertise (he has worked in the television and film industry for about forty years) that edited that material into the presentation you will view.
On the opening and closing slide of each presentation there are a couple images. The ones on the left were designed by the Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey, Northamptonshire, England and are available as full length banners and smaller posters from McCrimmon Publishing
Company Ltd – www.mccrimmons.com/O-Antiphons. See also – https://youtu.be/L-lNcdImng8. The ones in the centre are from St Anne’s Episcopal Church, Trexlertown, PA. See - http://stannesepiscopal.net/o-antiphons/ The video of the Magnificat can be found at - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15AccZAcdpk O Come, O come Emmanuel is from two You Tube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xtpJ4Q_Q-4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxPynSu2LGE
As Assistant Director of Shalom Place, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that, although our programs at Shalom Place are free to all who wish to access them, we greatly appreciate any free-will offering you might want to make. This Home page has a link below to our donation page, if you wish to support our ministry.
Burnie Thorp (Assistant Director, Shalom Place)
Introduction
(Posted December 16)
Christmas carols, Advent wreaths, Christmas trees, Midnight Mass, and ginger cookies— whether they are family or Church customs, the many traditions associated with the Advent and Christmas seasons make these special times of the year for us.
One of these ancient traditions is the O Antiphons: seven responses, or antiphons, that are sung or recited to introduce the canticle of Mary (the Magnificat) at evening prayer from December 17 to December 23, the octave before Christmas. These antiphons are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and refer to the different ancient titles given to the Messiah:
O Sapientia (O Wisdom) See Isaiah 11:2–3; 28:29.
O Adonai (O Lord) See Isaiah 11:4–5; 33:22.
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) See Isaiah 1:1; 11:10.
O Clavis David (O Key of David) See Isaiah 9:6; 22:22.
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) See Isaiah 9:1.
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) See Isaiah 9:5; 2:4.
O Emmanuel (God with us) See Isaiah 7:14.
We can bring these responses into our own prayers, as simple reminders throughout the day of the one whose coming we are joyfully expecting, as introductions to our own prayers of praise of Jesus, or as words of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness throughout the ages and our lives. Regardless of how you incorporate these ancient words into your Advent prayer life, let them speak to you, and maybe they will become part of your family traditions.
O Antiphons
Photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash
NOTE: New reflections will always be added here with past reflections found below.