On December 17, we begin praying the O Antiphons, short prayers traditionally prayed during the week leading up to Christmas. Each of the antiphons, which date to at least the 8th century, begins with “O,” from which they get their name, and with a different title for Christ, which you may recognize from the hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” They then contain a plea for Christ to come and to teach, to rescue, to free, and to save us. The first O Antiphon is: “O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge.” https://portlanddiocese.org/o-antiphons
