“O WISDOM” (DECEMBER 17)- A REFLECTION ON THE GREAT “O” ANTIPHONS FOR THE SECOND PART OF ADVENT

Dear friends, today, we begin the second part of the Advent Season; at Holy Mass, prayers are appropriate for each day, intensifying our preparation for the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Another point to emphasize are the “O” Antiphons, sung or recited from 17 – 23 December (Magnificat Antiphons at Vespers). The “O” Antiphons, historically, were composed between the 7th and 8th centuries, being a summation of Christology, the old Church, an expressive desire for salvation, both of Israel in the Old Testament and of the Church in the New Testament. They are short prayers, addressed to Christ, which sum up the spirit of Advent and of Christmas. They express in a special way, the admiration of the Church in the face of the mystery of God made man, seeking an ever-deeper understanding of his mystery and the urgent final supplication: “Come, do not delay!” All seven antiphons are supplications to Christ, each day invoked with a different title, a Messianic title taken from the Old Testament.

Having said this, let us consider the Antiphon of today, December 17: “O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the Most High and, reaching from beginning to end, you ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Come, and teach us the way of prudence.”

Dear friends, in the mystery of our faith, Christ is both the power and the wisdom of God, as St. Paul declares, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24). This divine wisdom, transcending mere human knowledge, is beautifully prophesied by Isaiah when he foretells the gifts the Spirit of the Lord would bestow upon the Messiah, placing “the spirit of wisdom and understanding” foremost (Isaiah 11:2).

Solomon’s prayer for an understanding heart to discern between good and evil, and God’s generous response, not only captures the value of divine wisdom but also serves as a model for us (1 Kings 3:9-12). This narrative illustrates how true wisdom is a gift from God, sought and cherished by those who lead.

In this loving expectation of His birth, let us ask for the grace to discover in the teachings of His Son the path of prudence. May this divine gift guide our actions and lead us to live in the fullness of wisdom, which directs all things toward their end and is manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, the source of all truth and ultimate fulfilment of the Law. Through the intercession of Mary, Seat of Wisdom, may we grow in the wisdom that prepares us to embrace the mysteries of Christ’s life and our own part in the salvation story.