O Sapientia

Come, O Wisdom

Christians throughout the ages have spent the final week of Advent singing, praying, and reflecting upon the seven great O Antiphons. These ancient verses have been captured in the lyrics of the great hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel, but existed far before the hymn itself.

These O Antiphons describe to us more fully who it is that we anticipate during Advent.

Yes, “God with Us” is coming afresh on Christmas this year; but Jesus is always far more than we imagine him to be. Each of the seven O Antiphons capture just a bit more of who Jesus was and is, and what he offers to bring when he comes to us.

December 18: O Sapientia (Wisdom)
December 19: O Adonai (Lord)
December 20: O Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse)
December 21: O Clavis David (Key of David)
December 22: O Oriens (Dayspring)
December 23: O Rex Gentium (King of the Nations)
December 24: O Emmanuel (With Us is God)

But here is where it gets fascinating.

These seven antiphons, when reading backwards from Christmas Eve, form an accrostic: ero cras, which is latin for "Tomorrow, I will come."

So today we begin this seven day journey with our first Antiphon: O Sapientia. Below is the text of the ancient verse, the text of the modern hymn, and a poetic response to this verse by Malcolm Guite.