The Great “O” Antiphons are seven brief prayers that are traditionally chanted or sung on successive evenings starting on December 17. The precise origin of these texts is unknown. However, by the 8th and 9th centuries, the church in Rome and monastic communities throughout western Europe were using them at evening worship services during the season of Advent. The hymn, “O come, o come Emmanuel is based on the seven Great O Antiphons. The first of these is O Wisdom:
O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and reach from one end of the earth to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Wisdom is shared in many ways. It can be demonstrated through actions, by physically showing another how to do something. It can be revealed in living an authentic, God-centered life. But often it is passed along through stories and personal testimony. Advent is a good time to pass along your own wisdom stories and those of others that express common truths about being human and loving God.
“Wisdom teaches her children and gives help to those who seek her. Whoever loves her loves life, and those who seek her from early morning are filled with joy. Whoever holds her fast inherits glory, and the Lord blesses the place she enters.” ~ Ecclesiasticus 4:11-13