This is the home page for the O Antiphons traditionally prayed on the evenings of the week leading up to Christmas (Dec. 17-23). One verse per night is prayed/sung before and after the Magnificat during evening Vespers.

Each O Antiphon calls to God in one of the titles of Christ, describing what He means to us and inviting Him to come! These were written in the early Middle Ages and are grounded in the prophecies of Isaiah and many other verses throughout scripture.

Each post gives the O Antiphon in multiple forms:

  • the Alleluia verse used at weekday Mass
  • the traditional form
  • the Latin version, and
  • verse from O Come, O Come Emmanuel that paraphrases the O Antiphon, along with a youtube clip containing that verse.

At the end of each post are some of the many verses from scriptures that form the basis of that day’s antiphon.

[On the road to Emmaus:]

“Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.” (Luke 24:27)

“Then they said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?’ “ (Luke 24:32)