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.Each night, following our family rosary, we pray the O Antiphon for the day, sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, which was inspired by this ancient tradition, and then give the children a special treat.
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| Advent Hymns from We Sing and Chant |
Sometimes the treats are a bit of a stretch, but my goal is try and find gifts that will either help increase our faith (Catechism books, holy family, saints, prayer, etc) or encourage family time (games, puzzles, going to look at Christmas lights, etc). You can find some of our past O Antiphon treats by scrolling through the archives and visiting Catholic Cuisine.
Our family loves this tradition. It is such a fun way to teach the children about these beautiful prayers of the church and also increase their excitement as Christmas gets closer.
Below I've listed the treats I choose for this year, as well as additional ideas (food, activities and gifts - or simply decorate chocolate coins) for each of the O Antiphons.
Once again I am hosting an O ANTIPHON GIVEAWAY! One lucky visitor here at Shower of Roses will receive a gift package including seven Cookie Stamps, one to represent each of the seven O Antiphons! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the details and to enter.
.: December 17th :.
O 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!
Since the symbol for wisdom is a book, I usually choose a new Catholic book for our family. Last year it was two books in The Wonder Series: The Wonder Story and The Wonder Days. The year before it was An Alphabet of the Altar which had just been reprinted by St. Augustine Academy Press. This year I'll be giving them SaintCards + Holy Helpers & Doctors of the Church. I think we'll all enjoy playing this and learning more about the saints!
Additional Ideas:
- Bible Cookies or Bible Candies
- Brain Food (Dark Chocolate, Deviled Eggs, etc - I'm hoping to tuck some of the Theo Christmas Bars into stockings this Christmas.)
- Play a Trivia Game (Christmas Trivia, Catholic Trivia, Cranium)
- Play Memory with Catholic Words Memory Match, Saint Memory, or Catholic Quiz games (Scattergories-Catholic Edition is fun with the older kids too!)
- Bookmarks or Holy Cards
- Family Prayer Book, Catechism, or other Book (The Christmas Book, The Catechism in Pictures with review here, Jesus Make Me Worthy, My Catholic Faith, A Catholic Child's Picture Dictionary, Around the Year: Once Upon a Time Saints, etc... The possibilities are endless.)
- Books including The Wonder Story and The Wonder Days from St. Augustine Academy Press.
.: December 18th :.
O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!
O Adonai (O Lord) - Gingerbread House Kit from Trader Joe's
In the past we would emphasize the word "house" in this Antiphon, and have made our Gingerbread Houses or Gingerbread Cookies on this night. Now that we have two birthdays this week (and two birthday cakes to bake and decorate!) we usually wait until Christmas Eve, or sometime during the 12 Days of Christmas to decorated Gingerbread Houses but I'm hoping we can fit it in this year!
Additional Ideas:
- Ten Commandment Cookies
- Cookies made with this Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter or this cute 3-D Mini Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter made by Sweet Creations, emphasizing the word "house"
- Pull out the Smore's Maker or light a bonfire and Roast Marshmallows, in reference to "Moses in the burning bush"
- Decorate Gingerbread Houses (my girls surprised me with this pan one year)
- Notre Dame 3-D Church Puzzle, Forest Nativity Shaped Puzzle (shaped like house), or this Stained Glass Holy Night
- Father Leopold Lego Set or Architecture Blocks would also tie in nicely
- Discuss the various names for Our Lady, including House of Gold! The Virgin Mary Around the World or any of the Marian dolls (Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of China, Our Lady of Vailankanni, etc) would be perfect.
.: December 19th :.
O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) - 2018 Family Ornament to add to the Christmas Tree
Additional Ideas:
- Root Beer Floats or Carrot Cake
- Roasted Root Vegetable, Hearty Healing Beef Stew or Hamburger Stew (pictured)... Yum!
- Purchase a Christmas Poinsettia (In the past we have also incorporated other Poinsettias: 12 Red Glitter Poinsettia Ornaments, Miracle of the Poinsettia, The Miracle of the First Poinsettia and Poinsettia Cupcakes)
- Play some sort of Gardening or Nature Game as a Family (perhaps Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game, Gathering a Garden, or The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game!)
- A new "Family" Ornament
- Old Fashioned Root Beer Drops
- Bonus: You could even have a Jesse Tea!
- Shepherd Puzzle Set made by Naturally Catholic
From Jesse, the shepherd, to Jesus, the Good Shepherd... Shepherds tie in nicely this year!
This year, in addition to the new family ornament, our children will be unwrapping this cute Shepherd and Angel playlet from Shining Light Dolls.
.: December 20th :.
O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.
O Clavis David (O Key of David) - Fishing for Bible Characters
We'll have another family game night, along with some sparkling drinks!
Additional Ideas:
- Key Lime Pie
- Special drink with dinner. Since this is initially a monastic tradition, and on this night, the monk in charge of the wine cellar would provide a special bottle of wine.
- Surprise the family with tickets ("key") to something local - Christmas play, the Nutcracker, etc. One year I took our older children to see A Christmas Carol at the theatre.
- Key Puzzle/Brainteaser
- Tiny Saints Key Hooks (One year I purchased a couple key hook rails to use to hang our Rosaries. You can see them in our old home in this post.)
- Advent At Ephesus, Caroling at Ephesus, or this Music of Midnight Mass!
- Incorporate Music "keys" with Catholic Songs for Children CD, Sheet Music Book and St. Cecelia Doll
.: December 21st :.
O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!
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| Christmas Morning 2017 |
O Oriens (O Dayspring) - New Christmas Pajamas
Additional Ideas:
- O Dayspring Ice Cream
- Non-Alcoholic Mimosas or Texas Sunrise with Breakfast
- Decorate a Christmas Candle (We use a tiny wax baby Jesus I purchased years ago along with Stockmar Gold Decorating Beeswax.)
- Our favorite tradition for this O Antiphon is to pile in the car after dinner with hot cocoa and drive around to look at all the Christmas lights. We have also added these to our tree: Kurt Adler 10-Light Candle with Gold Dish Light Set
- Candles from The Cloister Shoppe
- Our Lady of Fatima: The Graphic Novel and Coloring Book (miracle of the sun)
- Grimm's CASA SOLE Stacking Blocks (The set we have isn't currently available. Other options can be found online and over at Etsy including: Sun Block Wood Toy Stacker and these)
.: December 22nd :.
O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Gentiles) - Three Kings Playset from Shining Light Dolls
Additional Ideas:
- Crown Cake, Cupcakes or Cookies
- Bake Cookies using the Wise Men Cookie Stamp from Rycraft, Inc
- Assemble a Three Kings Puzzle and this beautiful Stained Glass Nativity Puzzle
- Listen to King of the Golden City CD
- One year I picked out one of the beautiful sets of Three Kings Gifts - we pull it out every Christmas!
- Rex Gentium Nail Polish
- Twas the Evening of Christmas Picture Book - Our daughter received this one year on the feast of St. Nicholas. It's such a lovely book!
.: December 23rd :.
O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!
O Emmanuel (O With Us is God) - The Holy Family Nativity Playset from Shining Light Dolls
Some year's I've given our children a new nativity set on this day... This year I'm splitting it up, giving them the shepherd/angel one night, the three kings another, and finishing it with Mary & Joseph. I love that it comes with two Mary dolls - one expecting and one holding Baby Jesus!
Additional Ideas:
- Make a Chocolate Nativity Scene for Christmas
- Decorate Nativity Cookies to give as gifts or Cookie Cutters Tell the Christmas Story
- 500-Piece Stained Glass Jigsaw Puzzle or Holy Family Puzzle
- Decorate Chocolate Christmas Coins using this FREE Printable
- Children's Nativity Set - you can find some of our favorites in this post and more of our collection here (scroll down a bit)
- Christmas picture books, coloring books including the beautiful Eucharistic Adoration: With Saints And Symbols Of The Eucharist coloring book, or the Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with The Dominican Sisters of Mary.
- Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story Board Book
- Midnight Mass Puzzle
.: O ANTIPHONS GIVEAWAY :.
The winner will recieve one of each!
Wisdom: #460 – Triune God
House: #214 – Home Sweet Home
Root of Jesse: #520 – Willow Tree
Key of David: #543 – Key to My Heart
Dayspring: #291 – Moravian Star
King: #448 – Norwegian Wedding Crown
Emmanuel: #368 – Nativity
Sponsored by Rycraft Cookie Stamps
(7 cookie stamps with recipe booklet @ $12.99 ea = $90.93 value)
Enter the Giveaway using the Rafflecopter Box below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Scroll through all the past "O Antiphon" posts here.
If you are looking for gift ideas, you can find my lists of Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers here (2015), here (2016), here (2017), and here (2018).
