Antiphon-6 O Rex Gentium

Antiphon No. 6 for December 22nd

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TEXT OF THE ANTIPHON AND THE MAGNIFICAT IN LATIN AND ENGLISH
First pray the Antiphon; then the Magnificat ; then repeat the Antiphon

LATIN VERSION

ANTIPHON: O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unem: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

THE MAGNIFICAT:
Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum.
Et exultávit spíritus meus: in Deo salutári meo.
Quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllae suae:
Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dicent omnes generatiónes.
Quia fécit mihi mágna qui pótens est: et sánctum nómen eius.
Et misericórdia eius in progénies et progénies timéntibus eum.
Fécit poténtiam in bráchio suo: dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui.
Depósuit poténtes de sede: et exaltávit húmiles.
Esuriéntes implévit bonis: et dívites dimísit inánes.
Suscépit Ísrael púerum suum: recordátus misericórdiae suae.
Sicut locútus est ad patres nostros: Ábraham, et sémini eius in saecula.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto,
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

ANTIPHON: O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentis in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

OREMUS: Aurem tuam, quaesumus, Domine, precibus nostris accommoda: et mentis nostrae tenebras gratia tuae visitationis illustra. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

ENGLISH VERSION

ANTIPHON: O King of the Nations, and the desire thereof, the capstone who makes of two things one: come and save man whom Thou formed out of the mire!

THE MAGNIFICAT:
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid:
For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name.
And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him.
He hath shown might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy:
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His seed for ever.
Glory be the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forever and ever, Amen.

ANTIPHON: O Rising Dawn, brightness of eternal light and sun of justice: come and illumine those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death!

V. O Lord hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

LET US PRAY: O King of the Nations, and the desire thereof, the capstone who makes of two things one: come and save man whom Thou formed out of the mire!
R. Amen

DOWNLOAD OUR 6th “O” ANTIPHON POSTER ~ O REX GENTIUM

Click on the PDF file link below and download a Letter Size (8.5 x 11 inch) poster on today's O Antiphon: O Radix Jesse

Each day's Antiphon will have its own poster.
The Gregorian Chant notation is at the top of the page, followed by few brief meditative thoughts upon the relevance of the Antiphon for our days.

A wonderful keepsake that you will use year after year.

Our Christmas gift to you!

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AN EXPLANATION AND A MEDITATION

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in His Name" (John 1:11-12).

REX GENTIUM literally means "king of the people" which in turn obviously means"king of nations."  Rex Gentium is taken from Holy Scripture, where the prophet Jeremias says: "There is none like to thee, O Lord: Thou art great and great is Thy Name in might. Who shall fear thee, O King of Nations [Rex Gentium]? For Thine is the glory: among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms there is none like unto Thee" (Jeremias 10:6-7).

"The Lord hath made known His salvation: He hath revealed His justice in the sight of the Gentiles. He hath remembered His mercy His truth toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Sing joyfully to God, all the earth; make melody, rejoice and sing. Sing praise to the Lord on the harp, on the harp, and with the voice of a psalm; with long trumpets, and sound of comet. Make a joyful noise before the Lord our King" (Psalm 97:2-6).

"O Lord, Lord, almighty King, for all things are in Thy power, and there is none that can resist Thy will" (Esther 13:9).

“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: He will save us” (Isaias 33:22).

THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST IS FORETOLD IN OLD TESTAMENT

► Psalm 2:  "Who has been set by the Father AS KING over Sion and shall have the Gentiles for His inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for His possession."

► Psalm 44: "Thy THRONE, O God, is for ever and ever; the SCEPTER OF THY KINGDOM is a scepter of righteousness."

► Psalm 71: "And He shall RULE from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."

THE TESTIMONY OF THE PROPHETS IS EVEN MORE ABUNDANT

► Isaias: "For a Child is born to us ... the PRINCE of peace, and the government is upon His shoulder .... His EMPIRE shall be multiplied ... He shall SIT UPON THE THRONE of David and upon His KINGDOM" (Isaias 9)

► Jeremias: "A KING SHALL REIGN and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth" (Jeremias. 23).

► Daniel: "GOD OF HEAVEN WILL SET UP A KINGDOM that will never be destroyed...and shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2) ..... "I beheld in the vision of the night one like the son of man, came with the clouds of Heaven. And He gave Him power and glory and a KINGDOM: and ALL PEOPLES, TRIBES, AND TONGUES SHALL SERVE HIM and HIS KINGDOM SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED" (Daniel 7)

►Zacharias: "O daughter of Jerusalem, behold THY KING WILL COME TO THEE, he is poor and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zacharias 9).

THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST IS CONFIRMED IN NEW TESTAMENT

► Angel Gabriel: "Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a Son, and the Lord God shall GIVE UNTO HIM THE THRONE of David His father and HE SHALL REIGN in the house of Jacob forever. And of His KINGDOM there shall be no end."

► St. Elizabeth: "Who am I that the mother of my LORD should come unto me?"

► The Wise Men: "Where is He that is born KING OF THE JEWS?"

► Herod: "...sought out the KING OF THE JEWS, so that he could kill Him."

► Christ himself speaks of His own kingly authority in His reply to Pontius Pilate, who asked Him publicly whether He was a king or not. The Jews had brought Him before Pilate with the accusation: "We have found this Man perverting our nation and saying that He is CHRIST THE KING!" Pilate asked our Lord: "ART THOU A KING THEN? ART THOU THE KING OF THE JEWS?" To which Our Lord said: "Thou hast said it!"

► The Crucifixion saw a sign above His head saying Jesus Nazarenus REX JUDAEORUM. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. The Jews complained saying"Write not: KING OF THE JEWS, but that he said: I am the KING OF THE JEWS." Pilate replied: "What I have written, I have written."

►The Good Thief spoke on the cross: "Remember me Lord, when you come into Thy KINGDOM"

HOW IS CHRIST A KING? CHRIST IS KING BY CREATION & BY CONQUEST

► When we make something it is ours: for example, we build a house, make table, paint a picture, write a book, etc.

► God made man. Man belongs to God.

► No freedom or independence from from God.   "Without Me, you can do nothing."

► Man's independence from God led to his capture by the devil. This is the result of Original Sin and our own Mortal Sins

► Christ reconquered us through His Passion & Death