7: Praying for Christmas:
The Advent Antiphons

Here is a suggested pattern for prayer using the Advent Antiphons in the week leading up to Christmas Day. For each day of the week, I’ve included the antiphon, a suggested Bible reading and then the relevant verse from the hymn ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’.

READING: Ecclesiasticus 24.3-9

O come, thou wisdom from on high
who madest all in earth and sky,
creating man from dust and clay:
to us reveal salvation’s way.

18th December - O Adonai
O Lord of Lords, and ruler of the House of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and gave him the law on Sinai: come with your outstretched arm and ransom us.

READING: Exodus 3.1-6

O come, O come, Adonai,
who in thy glorious majesty
from Sinai’s mountain, clothed in awe,
gavest thy folk the ancient law.

19th December - O Root of Jesse
O root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the nations; kings will keep silence before you for whom the nations long; come and save us and delay no longer.

READING: Isaiah 11.1-4a

O come, thou root of Jesse! Draw
the quarry from the lion’s claw;
from those dread caverns of the grave,
from nether hell thy people save.

20th December - O Key of David
O key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open: come and free the captives from prison, and break down the walls of death.

READING: Isaiah 22.21-23

O come, thou Lord of David’s key!
The royal door fling wide and free;
safeguard for us the heavenward road,
and bar the way to death’s abode.

READING: Numbers 24.15b-17

O come, O come, thou dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,
and pierce the shadows of the tomb.

22nd December - O King of the Nations
O king of the nations, you alone can fulfil their desires: cornerstone, binding all together: come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust of the earth.

READING: Jeremiah 30.7-11a

O come, desire of nations! Show
thy kingly reign on earth below;
thou cornerstone, uniting all,
restore the ruin of our fall.

23rd December - O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, hope of the nations and their saviour: come and save us, O Lord our God.

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 1.18-23

O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
that into exile drear is gone
far from the face of God’s dear Son.

Next: 8: Pocket Prayers