O Wisdom…, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!
Today’s reading: Ps 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 17
…The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice. He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor.
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness….
Reflection: Today, December 17, is the first day of what the Church calls Late Advent. These are the days closest to the Solemnity of Christmas, celebrated for over 1,000 years with recitation of the O Antiphons during daily liturgy (at Evening Prayer). If you’ve ever sung “O Come O Come, Emmanuel,” you know these antiphons—each verse is inspired by one of them.
Today’s antiphon is, “O Wisdom of our God Most High,/guiding creation with power and love:/come to teach us the path of knowledge!” The Church today prays about the Wisdom of God. We pray for greater awareness that God orders the universe in marvelous, in the deepest sense, awesome ways.
Let us pray: God, you bring order into our lives. Help us to see beyond our own disorder, whether it be in family, community or beyond. Open our hearts to your reflection in everything.