O Radius: The Dawn of the Sun of Justice
We continue preparing for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady by singing the Marian O Antiphons at Vespers. Today we see sing O Radius. Once again, we recorded it!
| ANT. O Radius divinæ claritatis, candor lucis æternæ, splendidior sole lumineque pulchrior, Virgo Maria! Noli tardare, cito veni, et illumina mentes nostras, ut oriatur in tenebris lux tua. | ANT. O Ray of Divine Glory, radiance of Eternal Light, more brilliant than the sun, more beautiful than its light, O Virgin Mary! Delay not, quickly come, and illumine our minds that thy light may arise in the darkness. |
| ℣. Omnia te exspectant, Domina. ℟. Veni jam, noli tardare. |
℣. All things await thee, our Lady. ℟. Come now, tarry not. |
| Oremus. Inclina, quæsumus, Domine, aures tuas ad preces nostras, ut qui Præsignationem Beatissimæ Virginis Mariæ celebramus, ad vitam æternam præsignati, in cœlesti Jerusalem collocari mereamur. Per Christum Dominum Nostrum. Amen. |
Let us pray Bend down Thine ears to our prayers, O Lord, so that we who celebrate the way the Blessed Virgin Mary was signified beforehand even in the old law, may, having been predesignated unto eternal life, merit to be gathered together in the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen. |
The Marian O Antiphons are rich in Scriptural allusions. This antiphon references Wisdom 7:26 and 7:29:
- Wisdom 7:26: “For she is the brightness of eternal light (candor est enim lucis æternæ), and the unspotted mirror of God’s majesty.”
- Wisdom 7:29: “For she is more beautiful than the sun (splendidior est sole), and above all the order of the stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it (lumini comparata invenitur prior).”
Also referenced are Isaiah 9:2 and the Benedictus:
Isaiah 9:2: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.”
Luke 1:78–79 (Benedictus): “…the Orient from on high hath visited us. To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death…”
The oft repeated noli tardare (tarry not) may be a reference to Habakkuk 2:3:
Habakkuk 2:3: “…if it delay, wait for it: for it shall surely come, and it shall not be slack (non tardabit).”
See also Psalm 70:5:
“…Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay (Domine, ne moreris).”
In our post in 2024, we discussed how all things were in shadow before Mary came. Mary signals the coming of the Light, thus Mary is the dawn that goes before the rising of the sun.
