O Sapienta

 

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong, yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.

 

The O Antiphons begin with God's wisdom in showing us the way to salvation. And it seems that the easiest way to have done this was for God to come to us, incarnate as Jesus the Christ.

 

"And the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us" Jn 1:14

 

Perhaps the reason was that we were overly consumed with asking the wrong question...and still are. Namely: How do I get to heaven? Or in other words: How do I earn salvation?

 

But I think we have it all backwards.

We think we are human, learning to become divine and actually it is just the opposite.

We think eternal life starts when we die, but actually it begins now.

We think of a “Santa Claus God” who is checking the list to see who is naughty and nice in order to determine who is worthy of heaven, yet God loves and accepts all.

We think that salvation can actually be earned! When actually it is all a gift.

 

We need to stop focusing on what we need to do for salvation, what we need to do "to get" to heaven and instead bring heaven to Earth, right now.

"...thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven"

 

God's dwelling place is right here, right now, among the people. Emmanuel!

 

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

 

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.