O Antiphon House

 Most years we make O Antiphon posters, but this year has been super crazy.  I didn't want to miss the O Antiphons, though, so I decided to make a house instead.

It took about ten minutes to make!

I took a sheet of construction paper and folded it in quarters.

I printed O Antiphon images (scroll down the page) and cut them out with a paper cutter.

I made a template a little smaller than the image (on an index card) , and marked out 8 doors going around the house.  For my actual house, I marked the doors with pencil, and just put the dates with silver marker.

I cut out the doors with a razor, and taped the images behind them.

Then I folded the house around, taped the seam, and made a roof.

We put a jack o lantern light inside to glow through the windows, but it's not really necessary.

We open a door and read the O antiphon from a list.  This one is taken from here at Catholic Culture.org:
O Sapientia (December 17) O Wisdom (Eccl 24: 5), you came forth from the mouth of the Most High (Sir 24: 30), and reaching from beginning to end, you ordered all things mightily and sweetly (Wis 8: 1). Come, and teach us the way of prudence (Isa 40: 14).
O Adonai (December 18) O Adonai or O Lord and Ruler (Exod 6: 13) and Ruler of the house of Israel (Matt 2: 6), you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush (Exod 3: 2), and on Mount Sinai gave him your Law (Exod 20). Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us (Jer 32: 21).
O Radix Jesse (December 19) O Root of Jesse, you stand for the ensign of all mankind (Isa 11: 10); before you kings shall keep silence and to you all nations shall have recourse (Isa 52: 15). Come, save us, and do not delay (Hab 2: 3).
O Clavis David (December 20) O Key of David (Apoc 3: 7) Scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no man closes; you close and no man opens (Isa 22: 22). Come, and deliver him from the chains of prison who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death (Ps 107: 10).
O Oriens (December 21) O Rising Dawn (Zac 6: 12), Radiance of the Light eternal (Hab 3: 4) and Sun of Justice (Mal 3: 20); Come, enlighten those who sit in darkness & the shadow of death (Ps 107: 10; Lk 1: 78).
O Rex Gentium (December 22) O King of the Gentiles (Hag 2: 8), Desired of all, you are the cornerstone that binds two into one (Eph 2: 20). Come, and save poor man whom you fashion out of clay (Gen 2: 7).
O Emmanuel (December 23) O Emmanuel (Isa 7: 14; 8: 8), our King and Lawgiver (Gen 49:10; cf. Ezek 21: 32), the Expected of the nations and their Savior (Isa 33: 22): Come, and save us, O Lord our God.

O Antiphons

Each December 17th, the Church kicks into high "getting ready for Christmas" gear.  This is marked by two momentous events: 1 we put up our Christmas tree, and 2 the O antiphons.

What's an antiphon, anyway?  An antiphon is a response to a psalm or a scripture canticle.  The O antiphons are responses to the Canticle of Mary, also known as the Magnificat.  The Church sings this every evening, and there are always antiphons said before and after we sing it, but the O antiphons are particularly striking in their beauty and significance.

The antiphon for the 17th, for example is:O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the Most High and, reaching from beginning to end, you ordered all things mightily and sweetly.  Come, and teach us the way of prudence.

Each of the antiphons is a scripture based title for Jesus. There's even a cool "Easter egg" thing: If you take the first letter of each antiphon (not counting the O!) they spell out, "Tomorrow, I come" (in Latin, of course, since they were originally written in Latin!).


Every year, we each randomly pick an antiphon to illustrate on large paper banners.  We draw or paint them secretly, and then post them in the stairwell on the appropriate day.

The top picture shows the first three days.  Star did "O Wisdom," Leena did  the next day "O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave him your law.  Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us."

Zorg did "O Root of Jesse..."  

I did " O Key of David and Scepter of the House of Israel; you open and no man closes; you close and no man opens.  Come, and deliver from the chains of prison those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."

This is my banner.  In the key hole you may be able to see (from the top down) Adam and Eve, Abel's death,  the Tower of Babel, hatred, money, sadness, the Golden Calf, Fear, slavery, death, human sacrifice, starvation, age, weapons of war, natural disasters, and, at the very bottom, people languishing in chains in the dark.


That was yesterday's antiphon, today's is "O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."

Klenda did this one, but it's not on the wall yet!

A More Appalling Thought

This Sunday is the feast of Christ the King, which means the next Sunday will start Advent! Yikes!
Time to start planning out Advent!

I've actually had a lovely year or two where I was done Christmas shopping by Advent. Not this year, I think. :)

On the plus side, this gets easier to plan since we have settled into some fun traditions and I don't feel like I have to "come up with" something each year.

I like to print out a blank calendar to plan on so I don't try to stuff in too much.

It helps that we have a tradition of decorating slowly. The big stuff gets scheduled: the second Sunday of Advent we put out our outside decorations and lights, the family creche goes up on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the third Sunday we do the inside greenery, beads and bows (we decorate the light fixtures and doorways), and the fourth Sunday we do the tree.

All the rest of the decorations are hauled into the guest room. Each day a kid gets to go in and pick a decoration to put up. Naturally, what gets picked first every year is the light up talking Nativity.

The figures don't actually talk, instead there is a narration with music. Inexplicably, they start with the Wise men and then do the shepherds. It is played some 5 or 6 hundred times a day for the entire Advent and Christmas season. $10 at Walmart 5 years ago. Who knew?

Then I poll the kids about their favorite Advent activities. The results this year?

We will definitely do the manger (you put a straw in every time you do a good deed and, by Christmas, Baby Jesus has a nice soft bed).

We will also do the Advent house (each day you open a door and find a piece of the playmobil nativity and some candy) .

We will do the sticker book if I can find the stickers. I had thought I'd just buy a new one, but $268 seems a bit steep. I mean, it was great, but not enough for a second mortgage!

The Jesse tree.

Paper advent calendars for each kid.

The Advent wreath, of course. We'll probably make a paper one for the children's altar.

We'll do the O Antiphons, when they come around. We print them out and distribute them at random with a sheet of poster paper. Everyone does their antiphon, and we put them up on the appropriate day.

And then, each week, we'll have a day to make cookies, a day to do make presents, and a day to make a decoration.

I have been thinking of themes. Advent is so big, I like to have a focus. I am thinking of using a song this year. O Come O Come Emmanuel is obvious, but I've never liked it musically. Growing up, it was sung every Advent (sometimes every Advent Sunday!) and always with a dirge like tempo. The words are great, but...

We used People Look East a few years back, and I liked it very much. There are four verses, with a fifth for Christmas Eve, and each one can be thought of as a different kind of preparation. I may do it again this year. Here are the words:

1. People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

2. Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.

3. Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
God for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.

4. Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

5. Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
Christ who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.

And here we have it sung: