17th December: O Sapientia

A few months ago Mrs Pearce and I decided that to add to our family evening devotions, we would begin commemorating the feast of the day by opening our family rosary by singing the Magnificat antiphon and Collect of the day. We are very much into liturgical living and our meals, house decorations and family activities mark out the feasts and fasts of the church calendar. This is especially important for children who also learn a lot through practice and culture rather than only academic learning.

This practice really comes into its own in the next few days when the Church sets before us a different Magnificat antiphon each day which take typological titles of Jesus relating to the incarnation. These are a reflection bon the expectations that the people of Israel had of the coming Messiah and in the Church we reflect on these in the knowledge of how Christ fulfilled them each one begins with ‘O’ and so they are called the ‘O’ Antiphons.

The first is sung at Vespers on the 17th of December and is O Sapientia. We are reminded that, as the last Gospel of the Mass presents, Jesus is the eternal Logos, the Word or Divine Mind made flesh. He is Wisdom incarnate.

O Sapientia or O Wisdom (December 17)
O Wisdom (Sirach 24:3),
You came forth from the mouth of the Most High (Sirach 24:3), and reaching from beginning to end You ordered all things mightily and sweetly (Wisdom 8:1). * Come, and teach us the way of prudence (Isaiah 40:14).