“God of our ancestors, Lord of mercy, who by Your word have made all things and in Your wisdom have fitted man to rule the creatures that have come from You, to govern the world in holiness and justice and in honesty of soul to wield authority, grant me Wisdom, consort of Your throne, and do not reject me from the number of Your children. For I am Your servant, son of Your serving maid, a feeble man, with little time to live, with small understanding of justice and the laws. Indeed, were anyone perfect among the sons of men, if he lacked the Wisdom that comes from You, he would still count for nothing.
“You Yourself have chosen me to be king over Your people, to be judge of your sons and daughters. You have bidden me build a temple on Your holy mountain, an altar in the city where You have pitched Your tent, a copy of that sacred tabernacle which You prepared from the beginning. With You is Wisdom, she who knows Your works, she who was present when You made the world; she understands what is pleasing in Your eyes and what agrees with Your commandments.
“Despatch her from the holy heavens, send her forth from Your throne of glory to help me and to toil with me and teach me what is pleasing to You, since she knows and understands everything. She will guide me prudently in my undertakings and protect me by her glory. Then all I do will be acceptable, I shall govern Your people justly and shall be worthy of my father’s throne.
“What man indeed can know the intentions of God? Who can divine the will of the Lord? The reasonings of mortals are unsure and our intentions unstable; for a perishable body presses down the soul and this tent of clay weighs down the teeming mind. It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth, laborious to know what lies within our reach; who, then, can discover what is in the heavens? As for Your intention, who could have learnt it, had You not granted Wisdom and sent Your holy Spirit from above? Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened and men been taught what pleases You, and saved, by Wisdom” (Ws 9:1-18).
