O Sapientia!

Holy Church enters the final week of preparation for the feast of Christmas, the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord.

She groans in agonized anticipation, She shouts with uncontainable joy, She sighs in exquisite longing.

All the time, She sings.

Today She sings: O Sapientia! quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.

Today's antiphon expresses a profound and mysterious truth of faith: Wisdom took on human flesh and dwelt among us. His words were the Word, perfect intelligibility made ours. The lesson teaches more, thoughç every breath He drew, every raised finger, every shift in place, every arched eyebrow, taught as perfectly as the most sublime word. His final breath would break the power of Hell and restore us all to friendship with Heaven.

A power greater, more beautifully ancient and infinitely more perfect even than the cosmos, He came into His kingdom mute and helpless. Even then, He was teaching us the way of prudence: place yourselves entirely in Mary's care.

LD