O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
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.
O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
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.
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
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.
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel, qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperuit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
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.
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
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.
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Dominus, Deus noster.
O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.
The English translations above are from the 1976 Liturgy of the Hours, published by Catholic Book Publishing Company. For an additional approved devotional presentation, see the USCCB’s “O Antiphons” of Advent.
The O Antiphons are seven ancient Advent prayers sung with the Magnificat at Evening Prayer from December 17 through December 23. Each addresses Jesus Christ by a biblical title and ends with the Church’s urgent plea: Come!
The free printable PDF above is available for personal prayer, family prayer, or reflection during the final days before Christmas.
The O Antiphons—also called the Great Antiphons—are sung or recited before and after the Magnificat at Evening Prayer on the seven days from December 17 through December 23. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops notes that the Roman Church has used them since at least the eighth century.
Each antiphon gathers biblical images from the Old Testament and addresses Christ with a messianic title. Together they lead the Church through salvation history while expressing an increasingly urgent longing for the Savior. Every prayer ends with the same appeal: veni—“come.”
The traditional place for each antiphon is Evening Prayer. Pray the antiphon before the Magnificat, recite the Magnificat, and then repeat the antiphon. Catholics who do not regularly pray the Liturgy of the Hours can still use the prayer devotionally.
Families may pray the antiphon while lighting the Advent wreath or before the evening meal. Our Advent Prayer offers another way to prepare together for Christmas.
The familiar Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” draws its verses from the titles and petitions of the O Antiphons. A USCCB reflection on the O Antiphons explains how the hymn connects Catholics with the Evening Prayer of the Church during the final week of Advent.
The first letters of the Latin titles—Sapientia, Adonai, Radix, Clavis, Oriens, Rex, and Emmanuel—form a traditional acrostic when read in reverse order: ERO CRAS, meaning “Tomorrow, I will come.” This devotional observation beautifully answers the repeated cry of the seven antiphons as Christmas draws near.
The Christ awaited in Advent is the same Lord whom Catholics adore in the Blessed Sacrament. A candlelit Rorate Mass offers another beautiful expression of this watchful hope. That longing also shapes the vocation of our Franciscan brothers devoted to Eucharistic adoration, whose lives are centered on prayer before Christ truly present in the Eucharist.
They begin on December 17 and continue through December 23. December 24 has its own liturgical texts for Christmas Eve.
No. The traditional Roman series contains seven antiphons prayed over seven evenings. They may be included in a broader Advent novena, but the O Antiphons themselves are not a nine-day novena.
No. Their proper liturgical setting is Evening Prayer, but individuals and families may also pray the antiphon of the day as a private Advent devotion.
Visit our collection of Christmas Prayers for prayers to use throughout the Christmas season.
Originally published March 5, 2025; expanded with historical material from our 2017 article and substantially revised October 3, 2026.
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