Monday, December 11, 2006

"O" Antiphons

Last year I posted the O Antiphons, Gregorian and all.

Now here's something interesting about them which JSBach would have caught in a second:

One of the most interesting features involves a kind of encoded message via these antiphons. The initials of each of these titles in Latin (Sapientia, Adonai, Radix Jesse, Clavis David, Oriens, Rex Gentium, and Emmanuel) combine to form the word "SARCORE". When this is arranged backwards, it spells the phrase "ERO CRAS", which means "Tomorrow, I will be." This coincidence was very suggestive to people in the Middle Ages because the beginning of the celebration of the mystery of the Incarnation on Christmas Eve (December 24th) falls on the day after the singing of the antiphons.

You don't have to be a Middle-Ager to appreciate this...

HT: Shouts in the Piazza

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