On "O Sapientia"
(Note: This is my fifth year of doing short meditations on the O Antiphons that precede Christmas. If you'd like to learn how to chant each Antiphon for use at the Magnificat at Evening Prayer, then go to this excellent page put out by the Chantblog. Remember, he who sings once, prays twice -- even if it isn't always on pitch!)
O Sapientia - December 17th
Previous Meditations: 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005.
"O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of the Most High,
And reachest from one end to another,
Mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence."
(Taken from The Anglican Breviary, C26)
WE OFTEN ONLY think of Wisdom as an accumulated body of knowledge detailing how to life a good life with platitudes like God only helps those who help themselves or make hay while the sun shines quickly. These pithy statements may be a great help, but are these wisdom? The book of Proverbs treats wisdom not as a set of quips (even though it is full of them), but as a person for “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets.” (1:20)
WISDOM IS A person and Our Lord Jesus Christ is wisdom incarnate. This Incarnate Wisdom of God is quite different than the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of those platitudes. For it is the Wisdom of God to take flesh from a woman and be born, wrapped in a manger, suffer and die; it is the Wisdom of God to be of no reputation and take on the form of a servant. (Phil. 2:7) This is the Wisdom that camest out of the mouth of the Most High.
AND THIS IS the Wisdom that mightily and sweetly orders all things in our life, when we submit ourselves to it. And we are called to follow that Wisdom from the Crib to Cross, incarnating that same Wisdom in our lives by our service and prudence. Let us pray that this Wisdom from God may come to us and set us free.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.
O Sapientia - December 17th
Previous Meditations: 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005.
"O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of the Most High,
And reachest from one end to another,
Mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence."
(Taken from The Anglican Breviary, C26)
WE OFTEN ONLY think of Wisdom as an accumulated body of knowledge detailing how to life a good life with platitudes like God only helps those who help themselves or make hay while the sun shines quickly. These pithy statements may be a great help, but are these wisdom? The book of Proverbs treats wisdom not as a set of quips (even though it is full of them), but as a person for “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets.” (1:20)
WISDOM IS A person and Our Lord Jesus Christ is wisdom incarnate. This Incarnate Wisdom of God is quite different than the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of those platitudes. For it is the Wisdom of God to take flesh from a woman and be born, wrapped in a manger, suffer and die; it is the Wisdom of God to be of no reputation and take on the form of a servant. (Phil. 2:7) This is the Wisdom that camest out of the mouth of the Most High.
AND THIS IS the Wisdom that mightily and sweetly orders all things in our life, when we submit ourselves to it. And we are called to follow that Wisdom from the Crib to Cross, incarnating that same Wisdom in our lives by our service and prudence. Let us pray that this Wisdom from God may come to us and set us free.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.