O Antiphons

The season of  Advent and Christmas is a great time at the monastery to dive deep into monastic tradition.  This being said, here is some information on the "O Antiphons" which we chant here at St. Vincent during our Evening Prayer (Vespers).

From: www.catholiceducation.org

www.catholiceducation.org

The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, with Dec. 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil.

The exact origin of the “O Antiphons” is not known. Boethius (c. 480-524) made a slight reference to them, thereby suggesting their presence at that time. At the Benedictine abbey of Fleury (now Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire), these antiphons were recited by the abbot and other abbey leaders in descending rank, and then a gift was given to each member of the community. By the eighth century, they are in use in the liturgical celebrations in Rome. The usage of the “O Antiphons” was so prevalent in monasteries that the phrases, “Keep your O” and “The Great O Antiphons” were common parlance. One may thereby conclude that in some fashion the “O Antiphons” have been part of our liturgical tradition since the very early Church. 

The importance of “O Antiphons” is twofold: Each one highlights a title for the Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex GentiumO Emmanuel. Also, each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah. Let’s now look at each antiphon with just a sample of Isaiah’s related prophecies: 

O Sapientia: “O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).

O Adonai: “O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

O Radix Jesse: “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and A On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

O Clavis David: “O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.” Isaiah had prophesied, AI will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

O Oriens: “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

O Rex Gentium: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) .

O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). Remember “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”

According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one - Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia - the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion. 

Father William Saunders is dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College and pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Sterling, Virginia. The above article is a "Straight Answers" column he wrote for the Arlington Catholic Herald. Father Saunders is also the author of Straight Answers, a book based on 100 of his columns and published by Cathedral Press in Baltimore.

Saints who Visited St. Vincent Archabbey

I figured that you guys might be interested in the Saints who have stopped by the Monastery over the years.  I will start with one of my favorite Saints, Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R.

From:  www.seelos.org

Francis Xavier Seelos was born on January 11, 1819 in Fussen, Bavaria, Germany. He was baptized on the same day in the parish church of St. Mang. Having expressed a desire for the priesthood since childhood, he entered the diocesan seminary in 1842 after having completed his studies in philosophy. Soon after meeting the missionaries of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), founded for the evangelization of the most abandoned, he decided to enter the Congregation and to minister to the German speaking immigrants in the United States. He was accepted by the Congregation on November 22, 1842, and sailed the following year from Le Havre, France arriving in New York on April 20, 1843. On December 22, 1844, after having completed his novitiate and theological studies, Seelos was ordained a priest in the Redemptorist Church of St. James in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. 

 

St. Philomena's in Pittsburgh, PA

After being ordained, he worked for nine years in the parish of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, first as assistant pastor with St. John Neumann, the superior of the eligious Community, and later as Superior himself and for the last three years as pastor. During this time, he was also the Redemptorist Novice Master. With Neumann he also dedicated himself to preaching missions. Regarding their relationship, Seelos said: “He has introduced me to the active life” and, “he has guided me as a spiritual director and confessor.”

 St. John Neumann (who visited the Abbey with Blessed Seelos)

 His availability and innate kindness in understanding and responding to the needs of the faithful, quickly made him well known as an expert confessor and spiritual director, so much so that people came to him even from neighboring towns. Faithful to the Redemptorist charism, he practiced a simple lifestyle and a simple manner of expressing himself. The themes of his preaching, rich in biblical content, were always heard and understood even by everyone, regardless of education, culture, or background. A constant endeavor in this pastoral activity was instructing the little children in the faith. He not only favored this ministry, he held it as fundamental for the growth of the Christian community in the parish. In 1854, he was transferred from Pittsburgh, to Baltimore, then Cumberland in 1857, and to Annapolis (1862), all the while engaged in parish ministry and serving in the formation of future Redemptorists as Prefect of Students. Even in this post, he was true to his character remaining always the kind and happy pastor, prudently attentive to the needs of his students and conscientious of their doctrinal formation. Above all, he strove to instill in these future Redemptorist missionaries the enthusiasm, the spirit of sacrifice and apostolic zeal for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the people.

In 1860 he was proposed as a candidate for the office of Bishop of Pittsburgh. Having been excused from this responsibility by Pope Pius IX, from 1863 until 1866 he dedicated himself to the life of an itinerant missionary preaching in English and German in the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

After a brief period of parish ministry in Detroit, Michigan, he was assigned in 1866 to the Redemptorist community in New Orleans, Louisiana. Here also, as pastor of the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption, he was known as a pastor who was joyously available to his faithful and singularly concerned for the poorest and the most abandoned. In God’s plan, however, his ministry in New Orleans was destined to be brief. In the month of September, exhausted from visiting and caring for the victims of yellow fever, he contracted the dreaded disease. After several weeks of patiently enduring his illness, he passed on to eternal life on October 4, 1867, at the age of 48 years and 9 months.

His Holiness Pope John Paul II, proclaimed Father Seelos Blessed in St. Peter's Square on April 9th of the Solemn Jubilee Year 2000.  His Feast Day is October 5.


For more on Blessed Seelos, check out the great biography on him by clicking here

Seek Grace through Mary

Here is another great reflection from Fr. Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R. (friend of our Gabriel Myriam, O.S.B.).  Fr. Dabney is the Mission Preacher of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at the beautiful "Mission Church" in Boston.  For more great reflections from Fr. Dabney, click here .

Seek Grace Through Mary from The Mission Church on Vimeo.

Cool Picture

 

I thought you guys might all enjoy a picture of our Archabbot introducing our College President (Mr. James Towey) to our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

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Here is President Towey's Blog entry which appeared on our college's website (the next day, Sept. 25), it seems appropriate to post as we gear up for the celebration of Archabbot Boniface's 200th birthday celebration!!!

 

Yesterday in Saint Peter’s Square when His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and our very own Chancellor Archabbot Douglas embraced and conversed about Boniface Wimmer, two of the most venerable traditions of the Church embraced: the papacy and Benedictine monasticism. 

While all of you were asleep, Saint Vincent College took center stage in the Eternal City. 

Under a crystal clear sky and with thousands of pilgrims from scores of countries in attendance, as well as three of Saint Vincent’s monks and a group of alums and pilgrims, your alma mater marked one of its proudest and most historically significant moments. 

Perhaps you know the story of Saint Vincent’s earliest days. It is worth recounting. A German Benedictine monk, Boniface Wimmer, traveled the Atlantic Ocean with 18 companions and in 1846 established the first Benedictine college in America on what would become our campus.

In January the College will celebrate the bicentennial of Father Abbot Wimmer’s birth. It is not possible to recount our college’s history and ignore the miraculous work of grace that has sustained us these 162 years. I speak often of the hardships and sacrifices of the Benedictines in those early years because they gave their lives for us. 

Think of the prayer and labor that was asked of the Benedictines who built the Basilica brick by brick at the turn of the century, or in more modern times, when a good bit of the campus burned to the ground, forcing so many Benedictines to actually work and sleep in their offices (trivia: it was during this time that both Bonnie and Gerry halls were hastily built). Today we enjoy a campus of unparalleled beauty and unprecedented prosperity because of these Benedictines as well as their successors – and the many lay men and women who have processed through the decades to come and labor by their side as faculty, administrators and staff. 

I love listening to alums tell stories about the old days. The more I hear, the more blessed I feel to be joined to Saint Vincent’s proud history. As I watched the Holy Father receive a beautifully bound edition of some of the letters of Boniface Wimmer from our Archabbot, I witnessed another chapter in that history being written. 

I had a chance to meet the Holy Father a few moments later and convey the love and gratitude of the entire College community - so if you felt a surge of grace around 5 a.m. yesterday, it was his apostolic blessing being conferred upon the entire campus! 

He congratulated our football team for winning our first game in 46 years and asked if Dan Brett was still SGA president. Ok, I made that up. 

But the rest, though dreamlike in its improbability and majesty, is true. Our students who went with Fr. Vincent in April to the Papal Mass in the Bronx know what it means to see the Holy Father in person. It is as if you are transported back to the time of Christ, to the company of Saint Peter and you hear those immortal words: You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church! 

An unbroken chain of succession stretches from Saint Peter to Joseph Ratzinger. It is a deep mystery. There is no human explanation for how the Church is still standing two millennia later despite all of the efforts from within and without to topple it. 

And today’s vicar of Christ - who like 15 of his predecessors took the name of the saint that inspired Boniface Wimmer, his companions, and their Benedictine successors in the foothills of the Laurel mountains – now knows about the marvel that is Saint Vincent College.

200th Anniversary of the Birth of our Founder!!!

Join the monks of St. Vincent Arcabbey as we celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the birth of our founder, Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B.  Opening ceremonies will take place during Solemn Vespers on January 14, 2009 with the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Order (the Rt. Rev. Notker Wolf, O.S.B. delivering the homily).  For more information please check out:

www.bonifacewimmer.org