Mother Wisdom

Wisdom

I too am a mortal, the same as all the rest

a descendant of the first one formed of earth.

In my mother’s womb I was molded into flesh

And I too, when born, inhaled the common air,

and breathed upon the kindred earth;

wailing, I uttered that first sound common to all.

I wailed and cleared my lungs

In swaddling clothes and with constant care I was nurtured.

Kings and commoners have not any different origin or birth;

one and same is the entry into life for all,

and in one same way they leave it behind

Solomon Prayed and Wisdom and Riches Came to Him

I prayed, and prudence was given me;

I pleaded for the spirit of Wisdom to come unto me

For I preferred her to scepter and throne

And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her.

I do not liken any priceless gem to her;

Because all gold, in view of her, is a bit of sand,

and before her, silver is to be accounted mire

Gold a symbol of pride, paling in comparison.

Beyond health and beauty, I loved her. Wisdom...

And I chose to have her rather than the light,

because her radiance never ceases

Yet all good things together came to me with her

and counted as riches at her hands.

I rejoiced in them all, because Wisdom is their leader,

though I had not known that she is their mother.

Solomon Prays for Help to Speak Worthily of Wisdom

Sincerely I learned about her, and ungrudgingly do I share—

her riches I do not hide away

For she is an unfailing treasure;

those who gain this treasure wins the friendship of creation,

being commended by the gifts that come from her discipline.

Now the Divine grants that I speak suitably

and value these endowments at their worth

For divinity is the guide of Wisdom

and the director of the wise.

For both we and our words are in his hand,

as well as all prudence and knowledge of crafts

For he gave me sound knowledge of what exists,

that I might know the structure of the universe and the force of its elements,

the beginning and the end and the midpoint of times,

the changes in the sun’s course and the variations of the seasons,

Cycles of years, positions of stars,

natures of living things, tempers of beasts,

Powers of the winds and thoughts of human beings,

uses of plants and virtues of roots—

Whatever is hidden or plain I learned,

for Wisdom, the artisan of all, taught me

Nature and incomparable Dignity of Wisdom.

For in her is a spirit

intelligent, holy, unique,

Manifold, subtle, agile,

Never harmful, loving the good, keen

unhampered, beneficent, kindly,

Firm, secure, tranquil,

all-powerful, all-seeing,

And pervading all spirits,

though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.

For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,

and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.

For she is a breath of the might of the God being

and a pure emanation of the glory of the All Mighty;

therefore nothing defiled can enter into her.

For she is the reflection of eternal light,

the spotless mirror of the power of the God light,

the image of goodness

Although she is one, she can do all things,

and she renews everything while herself perduring;

Passing into holy souls from age to age,

she produces friends of God-ness and prophets

For God loves nothing so much as the one who dwells with Wisdom.

For she is fairer than the sun

and surpasses every constellation of the stars.

Compared to light, she is found more radiant;

though night supplants light,

wickedness does not prevail over Wisdom.

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Adapted from USCCB: Solomon Is Like All Others