Liturgy Note: Kyrie eleison – O Antiphons

             This Greek phrase, “Lord, have mercy,” acclaims the Christ who makes God’s boundless mercy available. Many churches, east and west, sing this in Greek. It was the response to a litany in the 4th century, and spread throughout the Christian world from Jerusalem and Antioch.
             Such a litany became part of the Roman Mass at the time of Pope Gelasius, 492-496. At the time of Gregory the Great, 590-604, the petitions were lost on ordinary days, but the Kyrie eleison was kept. By the ninth century, the litany was gone, and the singing of a triple Kyrie eleison, a triple Christe eleison (Christ, have mercy), and another triple Kyrie eleison had taken its place. This pattern lasted over a thousand years. Our current form, sometimes with a verse addressed to Christ, dates from 1969. This three-fold acclamation is addressed to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
             During Advent at Saint Jude, we sing the Kyrie to the tune of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” followed by the “Great O Antiphons,” which address Christ as: Wisdom, Lord of Israel, Flower of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King of Nations, Emmanuel. Each of the antiphons begins with the word “O.” One is sung each day at Evening Prayer during the Christmas Novena that closes Advent. These antiphons are also assigned as gospel acclamation verses at Mass during those days