Artwork by The Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey.
December
18th: 'O Adonai, leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the
burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai, come to rescue us with outstretched
arm.'
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio exteno.
The text is based upon Exodus 3 and 6:6.
The Hebrew word 'Adonai' is left untranslated. It is one of the names of God,
having the same vowels as those placed into YHWH consonants, producing Yahowah
or Yahweh or Jehova.
At the burning bush God is reluctant to reveal his Son 'and gave him a name
above all names'(see Philippians 2:9-11).
He it was who was present in the blaze of the burning bush and the lightening
on Mount Sinai, he who said "I have come to bring fire to the earth, and
how I wish it were blazing already." (Luke 12:49)
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.")
Will it fit my lectern?
Frontals come with cord locks that enable you to adjust the hanging height and
width for most free-standing lecterns. Frontals hang below and tie around the
lectern’s front projection. If you are unsure whether our frontals will fit
your lectern, please contact us and we will advise you.
Important, please check before ordering:
The sloping book rest should have a front projection of at least 5cm.
Fabric, materials and production:
- 100% Polyester (natural-feel
material).
- Fade resistant printing.
- Includes wood rods (top and
bottom) and end caps and gold effect draw cord and cord locks.
- Fire retardant: BS5867/Type
B DIN4102
- A sample of the material can
be supplied upon request.
Delivery: Allow 10-14 days from date of order.
View all our Lectern Frontals here.
