Advent, Day 18
O Wisdom, Come to Us
Welcome back to the Advent & Christmas Daybook at Restful.
Beginning on December 17, Advent moves into a holy hush as the Church turns to the ancient prayers known as the O Antiphons. In the first centuries, as poet-priest Malcolm Guite reminds us, the “Church prayed seven great cries, calling afresh on Christ to come and naming him by the mysterious titles given in Isaiah: O Wisdom. O Root. O Key. O Light. Come to us.” Throughout the week, we will linger with the artwork of Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1937), the first African American painter to gain international acclaim, whose many religious paintings invite quiet contemplation. Our daily Daybook rhythm remains the same this week, with a lighter touch on the lectionary readings and more space to linger with one O Antiphon each day through Scripture and prayer, alongside Malcolm Guite’s sonnet series. If you would like to move offline as you pray, you are welcome to download the O Antiphons PDF at the bottom of today’s meditation. And if you are just finding your way into Advent now, you are most welcome here.
Let’s Begin
Light three candles and pray this simple breath prayer drawn from today’s O Antiphon:
Inhale: O Wisdom,
Exhale: come to us.
Repeat gently until you are ready to move forward.