LSM Musical Advent Calendar, Day 20

O Sapientia (O Wisdom) Our world stumbles blindly toward chaos— come, source of wisdom, and reveal yourself to us. For the seven days before Christmas Eve, the ancient Magnificat antiphons for evening prayer each begin with the letter “O” followed by a Latin title for Christ drawn from prophecies in the Hebrew Bible: Sapientia (Wisdom); Adonai (Lord); Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse); Clavis David (Key of David); Oriens (Dayspring), Rex Gentium (Ruler of Nations); and Emmanuel. When the first letter of each title is arranged in reverse order, i.e. from 23–17 December, the phrase “ERO CRAS” appears, roughly translated as “I will be there tomorrow.” Around the twelfth century, the “O” antiphons were collected into a Latin hymn, “Veni, Emmanuel,” a text still sung today as “O come, O come, Emmanuel” (ELW 257; LSB 357). Matthew Yee of Auburn, California, plays the familiar hymn in an arrangement by G. Winston Cassler. Join us daily for these moments of music and reflection between now and December 24.