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.")
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.
