The Antiphon 'O Lumen'

From the 14th century it was a custom in the Order to sing the Magnificat Antiphon for the Feast of St Dominic after the Salve Regina at the end of Compline every day. This antiphon, O Lumen Ecclesiae, will form the subject of a series of meditations beginning tomorrow. Here is the full text:

O LUMEN ECCLESIAE, DOCTOR VERITATIS,

ROSA PATIENTIAE, EBUR CASTITATIS,

AQUAM SAPIENTIAE PROPINASTI GRATIS:

PRAEDICATOR GRATIAE, NOS IUNGE BEATIS.

The usual English translation is as follows:

O light of the church, teacher of truth,

rose of patience, ivory of chastity,

You freely poured forth the waters of wisdom,

preacher of grace unite us with the blessed.

In Eastertide the antiphon ends with Alleluia. We hope you enjoy this series of posts which will be published during the month of November. Here is a recording of the community at Blackfriars, Oxford, singing the O Lumen: