Golden nights | Joyful Papist

The seven “O Antiphons” (also called the “Greater Antiphons” or “Major Antiphons”) are prayers that come from the Breviary’s Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the “Golden Nights.”

Each Antiphon begins with “O” and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin “Ero Cras” which means “Tomorrow I come.” Those titles for Christ are:

Sapientia – Wisdom

Adonai – Lord of Israel

Radix Jesse – Root of Jesse

Clavis David – Key of David

Oriens – Radiant Dawn

Rex Gentium – King of Nations

Emmanuel – God with us

The translation of the Gregorian chant in the following video is: “Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!”