XXIII. O spectabiles viri (De prophetis et patriarchis)
The Rod That Bloomed
The antiphon opens by praising the prophets who beheld the living light sprouting in Aaron's rod, which alone blossomed from the root of Jesse.
Antiphon: O remarkable men, who passed through hidden things, gazing through the eyes of the spirit and proclaiming in a bright shadow the sharp, living light sprouting in a rod, which alone bloomed from the entrance of the rooting light.✦
Salvation Foretold for Exiles
The ancient saints are honored for foretelling the salvation of souls plunged into the exile of death.
You ancient saints, you foretold the salvation of souls in exile, who had been plunged into death.✦
The Wheel and the Mountain of Light
The prophets are likened to Ezekiel's wheel, speaking the mysteries of the heavenly mountain and anointing many waters, until a bright lantern arose to point the way.
You who moved about like a wheel, speaking wondrously the mysteries of the mountain that touches heaven, passing through and anointing many waters, when even among you there arose a bright lantern, which, running ahead, pointed out the mountain itself.✦✦
Read the original Latin
Antiphona: O spectabiles viri, qui pertransistis occulta aspicientes per oculos spiritus et annuntiantes in lucida umbra acutam et viventem lucem in virga germinantem, que sola floruit de introitu radicantis luminis. Vos antiqui sancti, predixistis salvationem exulum animarum, que inmerse fuerant morti. Qui circuistis ut rote mirabiliter loquentes mistica montis, que celum tangit pertransiens ungendo multas aquas, cum etiam inter vos surrexit lucida lucerna, que ipsum montem precurrens ostendit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Num.17.8 — Moses and Aaron came before the Tent of Meeting.
- ↩1Pet.1.10-1Pet.1.11 — Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 1Pet.1.11 — searching to learn what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when it predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
- ↩Ezek.1.15-Ezek.1.21 — As I looked at the living creatures, behold, one wheel was on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of their four faces. Ezek.1.16 — The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the gleam of beryl, and the likeness of them was one for all four, and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. Ezek.1.17 — Upon their four sides, when they went, they went; they did not turn when they went. Ezek.1.18 — And their rims were tall and terrifying, and their rims were full of eyes all around the four of them. Ezek.1.19 — And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Ezek.1.20 — Wherever the spirit would be present, there they would go — the spirit directed their going — and the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Ezek.1.21 — When they went, they went; and when they stood, they stood; and when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up with them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
- ↩Exod.19.16-Exod.19.20 — On the third day, when morning came, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet exceedingly loud; and all the people in the camp trembled. Exod.19.17 — Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Exod.19.18 — And Mount Sinai was entirely in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire; and its smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. Exod.19.19 — And the sound of the trumpet was going on and growing very loud; Moses was speaking, and God was answering him with a voice. Exod.19.20 — And the LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
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