What is O Antiphons and Bambinelli Sunday?
Here are a few things to make note of during the joyous, Third Week of Advent:
O Antiphons: Beginning Dec. 17 of each Advent season, and for the next seven days, a special antiphon known as an O Antiphon is read before the Magnificat during evening prayer or before the gospel at Mass. Sometimes called the Greater Antiphons, or the O’s of Advent (because they begin with that exclamation), the O Antiphons differ from the daily antiphons because they herald the coming birth of Christ. Originally written in Latin around the seventh or eighth centuries, these special antiphons are verses extracted from the Old Testament prophets — namely, Isaiah — and express the longing for the coming of the Christ. In fact, the word “come” is used in every O Antiphon.
Each of the seven antiphons begins by addressing Jesus using an Old Testament title for the Messiah. These seven names or titles, all from the Book of Isaiah, are:
Dec. 17, O’ Sapientia (meaning O Wisdom), from Isaiah 11:2-3.
Dec. 18, O’ Adonai (O Lord or Ruler), 11:4-5 and 33:22.
Dec. 19, O’ Radix (O Root of Jesse), 11:1.
Dec. 20, O’ Clavis (O Key of David), 22:22.
Dec. 21, O’ Oriens (O Radiant Dawn), 9:1.
Dec. 22, O’ Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), 2:4.
Dec. 23, O’ Emmanuel (O God with Us), 7:14.
It is widely pointed out that if you take the first letter of each Latin name and reverse the order — that is, begin with E from Emmanuel, then Rex Gentium and so on you will spell the word EROCRAS, which in Latin means “I shall come tomorrow.” Click Here to see the daily prayers. Click Here for more information on the O Antiphons.
Bambinelli Sunday is on Sunday, December 14, 2025, which is the Third Sunday of Advent. On this day, families are invited to bring the “baby Jesus” figurines from their home Nativity scenes to church for a special blessing. The blessed figurines are then taken home and typically placed in the empty manger on Christmas morning.
