Antiphon

What it is

An antiphon is a short sacred text that frames or answers a longer chant — most often a psalm or canticle in the Divine OfficeGlossaryThe Church's daily liturgy of psalms, hymns, and readings sanctifying the hours—also called the Liturgy of the Hours., or a proper of the MassGlossaryThe variable prayers and chants of the Mass or Office assigned to a given day—introit, collect, readings, and the like. (introit, offertory, Communion). It names the mystery of the day in a few lines. The great MarianGlossaryOf or directed to the Blessed Virgin Mary—her feasts, antiphons, hymns, and the Church's filial devotion to the Mother of God. antiphons (Salve Regina, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli) close ComplineGlossaryNight Prayer—the final hour of the Divine Office before sleep, classically including the Nunc Dimittis and a Marian antiphon. according to the season.

What it is not

An antiphon is not a free-floating hymn verse chosen for mood. It is not interchangeable with a responsory or a tractGlossaryA Gregorian chant sung after the Gradual in penitential Masses when the Alleluia is omitted — often long and meditative (e.g. Qui habitat)., though all belong to the Church's chant. It is not optional decoration around the psalms — in the Office, the antiphon interprets the psalm for this feast or feriaGlossaryA weekday in the liturgical calendar that is not a feast—kept with ferial (weekday) Mass texts rather than a saint's proper..

How a Catholic encounters it

In the breviary, read the antiphon before the psalm and again after. At MassGlossaryThe Church's central act of worship—the Sacrifice of Calvary made present, and the sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood., listen for the entrance and Communion antiphons even when the parish sings a hymn. Learn one Marian antiphon by heart for night prayer. When the GradualeGlossaryThe official book of Mass chants for the Roman Rite — graduals, tracts, alleluias, and related propers as used in the Gregorian tradition. or Missal prints an antiphon you do not know, treat it as the Church's headline for the day.