The title of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom comes from the Latin “sedes sapientiae” and is used in the Litany of Loreto. Since the eighth century Wisdom texts have been used in Marian liturgies  including “Mother of Wisdom”, “Fountain of Wisdom”, and “Seat of Wisdom”. St. Augustine and St. Bernard both referred to Mary’s Seat of Wisdom as the Mother of Christ who is Wisdom Incarnate. This title also reminds us that Mary is the wise virgin who “kept all these things in her heart.” (Lk2:19)

Jesus Christ is Incarnate Wisdom and Mary provides a seat for Him. In the images of Mary, Seat of Wisdom, He is sometimes seated, sometimes standing, and sometimes He appears to be teaching. And Mary receives His wisdom even as she presents Him to us. When we want to look for wisdom, we can always go to Mary, because we will always find Jesus with her. Like Jerusalem for the Jewish people, Mary serves us as the place of our encounter with God and the more we spend time with her and her Son, Incarnate Wisdom, the more we will internalize the very wisdom of God.

Prayer to Our Lady Seat of Wisdom from the collect for her Mass:
“All-holy Father, eternal God, in your goodness you prepared a royal throne for your Wisdom in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary; bathe your Church in the radiance of your life-giving Word, that, pressing forward on its pilgrim way in the light of your truth, it may come to the joy of a perfect knowledge of your love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” Amen.

Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.