Artwork
by the Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey
December 22nd: 'O King of the Nations whom they long for, the
cornerstone who make two into one, come and save mankind whom you formed from
the earth.'
'O
Rex gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis unum:
veni, et salvi hominem, quem de limo formasti.'
The Jewish Messiah will not be restricted to the Chosen People. He is the King
of the nations (Jeremiah 10:7), the unifying cornerstone (Matthew 21:42) and
tells his disciples to "go out to the whole world to proclaim the Good
News to all creation" (Mark 16:15).
St Paul takes up the theme of the cornerstone in his letters to the Ephesians 2
and Galations 3.
The banner gives a panorama of the contemporary world to be won for the
universal King and to be brought to the unity for which he himself prayed (John
17:21-23).
The O
Antiphons are a highlight of the Church's Advent Liturgy:from December 17th -
23rd they frame the Magnificat at Vespers.
Rich
in symbolism and meaning they take us right from the beginning of creation,
through the centuries of the world's waiting for the promised Messiah, calling
upon him who was hidden in signs and symbols, and revealed when the fullness of
time had come, leading us to the Mystery of the Incarnation and beyond, to the
Paschal Mystery, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the Parousia (Christ's
second coming).
The
exact origin of the Latin texts is unknown. They may date from the sixth
century. There is evidence to suggest that the texts were in liturgical use in
Rome in the eighth century. Both the original Latin texts and an English
translation are given here.
Arriving
at the 7th Antiphon on December 23rd, we may discover that the letters of the
Latin invocations, read from the last up to the first, form a wonderful
acrostic (ERO CRAS), like God's answer to our prayer :
Dec. 17: Sapienta (O Wisdom)
Dec. 18: Adonai (O Adonai [Lord])
Dec. 19: Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
Dec. 20: Clavis David (O Key of David)
Dec. 21: Oriens (O Rising Sun)
Dec. 22: Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations)
Dec. 23: Emmanuel (O Emmanuel)
ERO CRAS: I WILL BE HERE TOMORROW
Christmas: O Wonderful Exchange (Antiphon
from the Greek Liturgy "O Wonderful Exchange! The Creator of the human
race took to himself a human body and was born of a virgin, and becoming man he
granted us divinity.")
Click here to view all 8
images in greater detail (opens in new window).
Roller/Pull-up Floor Standing Banner: These banner features
a stylish wave design and supports a two-part, telescopic pole that allows the
banner to achieve a commanding height of up to 2m.and printed on a 300gsm grey
block polymer The banner itself feeds from just above floor level, concealing
the base unit and allowing your design to take centre stage. The compact base
allows the Roller Banner to function in environments where space is limited.
The unit weighs 5.6kg and comes with a padded carry bag.
*180 day warranty from date of delivery with any mechanical or print fault.
Dimensions: 2000mm x 850mm
Delivery: Please allow 10-14 days from date of order.
Click
here to view our full range of Roller Banners.
If you have any queries or would like any further information use
our ‘Contact Us Form’,
phone (01702) 218956 or email sales@mccrimmons.com
