Advent’s O Antiphons: Wisdom

December 17, 2025

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.

This last week before Christmas Day has always been mystical to me, a thin place of sorts, where we move willingly or not toward the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the darkest of times, before stepping over the threshold to receive the light beginning its journey back to us. This season of darkness and lights, of distinct contrasts, has touched the deepest part of humanity for generations upon generations. Perhaps those contrasts were the source for the O Antiphons.

The O Antiphons, the seven ancient songs of the Church set apart for these final days of waiting for the Light, originated in the Roman Catholic Church sometime between the 6^th and 8^th centuries as a prelude to Christmas Eve. Containers of hope, anticipation, expectation, and praise, they have remained relevant all these centuries. Imagine those multitudes of people over such a vast amount of time in all the disarray of history holding their candles and lanterns in the dark, praying for and praising the Light.

Perhaps you know the Antiphons from the Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Each of the antiphons (short refrains) celebrates a name for the Christ (or Light, or Love, or Universe, as you prefer), sung on the nights between Dec. 17 and Dec. 23 and matched with their relevant scripture verses.  

Today, the first antiphon is O Wisdom. Wisdom seems such a foreign concept in these current times, a gift rarely taught to desire, an attribute rarely sought, and yet how much we need it now as we look at the state of our world, our own countries, and, even, our own lives. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah believed the Messiah would be known by his wisdom:

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might; the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. ³ His delight will be obedience to the Lord. He will not judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay, ⁴ but will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked who oppress them. ⁵ For he will be clothed with fairness and with truth.  Isaiah 11:2-5

I wonder how many cries for wisdom were lifted over the centuries as candle flames shimmered on the faces of those praying in the dark? I wonder why this attribute has become so discounted, overlooked, especially now, in the ongoing face of darkness, violence, suspicion, division, fear, doubt, and anger? This antiphon promises a wisdom greater than any of us can imagine, a wisdom that includes justice, inclusion, fairness, and truth. 

Consider these synonyms for wisdom as a garland wrapped around your tree or mantelpiece or heart:  knowledge, experience, good judgment, insight, discernment, prudence, enlightenment, foresight.  Where do you, and I, seek wisdom in our lives? In our countries? Scripture tells us that to gain wisdom we need only ask for the gift. O Come, O Come, Wisdom.

O Wisdom, build in us a desire for you and open our hearts to receive you. Quiet us enough to seek your counsel before we respond or act. Help us to stay rooted in you instead of rooting ourselves in the false noise of this world. Inspire us to listen not only with our minds but even more with our hearts. Grant us in this season of gift-giving the gift of Wisdom and then embolden us to practice it.

Blessings to you ~ Rosemary  

Check out these two versions of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiErbpZHfbk  contemporary version by Skillet

https://www.google.com/search?q=o+come+o+come+emmanuel+traditional traditional choir hymn

Photo credit: Ruslan Sikunov, Pixabay