7 Bells to Bethlehem: The O Antiphons

7 Bells to Bethlehem: The O Antiphons

In the early centuries of the Church, Christians developed a custom of praying seven great prayers in the days before Christmas. They were prayers for Christ to come??"addressing him with titles given him in the Old Testament (specifically in the prophet Isaiah)??"O Wisdom, O Root, O Key, O Light, O Lord, O King, O Emmanuel. These prayers have sometimes been called the "O Antiphons," and they also form the basis for the Christmas carol, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, with each of the seven titles organizing the seven verses. They are beautiful prayers because each of them touches on one of our deepest needs and intuitions. If we lived in Isaiah's day and did not yet know of the Incarnation, we would still know of our need for a Savior. We'd be crying out for the gift of Wisdom. We'd long for Light, a Root, a Key, a Flame, a true King.