Antiphona 4

Isaiah 61:10 provides this text, part of the messianic oracle that Jesus applied to himself in Luke 4:18. The 'vestimentum salutis' (garment of salvation) and 'indumentum laetitiae' (robe of gladness/justice) are wedding garments - Isaiah describes the Messiah as bridegroom. Applied to the virgin martyr, the passive verbs 'induit me... circumdedit me' indicate divine action: God himself dressed her in salvation and justice. At Lauds, as one dresses for the day, this antiphon presents the virgin martyr as clothed by God for eternal nuptials, wearing garments no earthly power could strip away.