According to Catholicism, who is the Wisdom being described in Proverbs 8:22–36?

St.Louis De Montfort Book on the "Love of Eternal Wisdom" provides a clear path to determine who is the Wisdom spoken by Solomon in Proverbs8.

St.Montfort distinguised Wisdom as Natural and Supernatural, and from the Supernatural he divides it further into to two which is the Created Wisdom and Uncreated Wisdom.

The Uncreated Wisdom St.Montfort teaches as the Incarnate Word, the LOGOS and it is Jesus Christ.

excerpt from St.Monfort book (Love of Eternal Wisdom p.4)

Natural wisdom is the knowledge, in an outstanding degree, of natural things in their principles. Supernatural wisdom is knowledge of supernatural and divine things in their origin. This supernatural wisdom is divided into substantial or uncreated Wisdom, and accidental or created wisdom. Accidental or created wisdom is the communication that uncreated Wisdom makes of himself to mankind. In other words, it is the gift of wisdom. Substantial or uncreated Wisdom is the Son of God, the second person of the most Blessed Trinity. In other words, it is eternal Wisdom in eternity or Jesus Christ in time.

Answer to question

Let's look & examine the wordings of St.Montfort on the Created Wisdom and how he defined it.

Accidental or created wisdom is the communication that Uncreated Wisdom makes of himself to mankind. In other words, it is the gift of wisdom.

Let's supply Jesus instead of Uncreated Wisdom to the phrase:

"Created Wisdom is the communication of Jesus Christ makes of himself to mankind.In other words, the Created Wisdom is the gift of Wisdom.

Therefore, the Created Wisdom from St.Montfort, Jesus "makes it" to communicate Himself to mankind.

Deeper understanding and attempt to reflect on the wordings would leads to;

Understanding it more deeply, it means Created Wisdom is a gift to all believers in understanding the revelation of who Jesus is.In case of Solomon in Proverbs8:22-36 he is not asking for the revelation of the Saviour, he is asking for the gift of wisdom to govern his people.

The gift of wisdom/Created Wisdom became parallel to Christ Anointing which is the Holy Spirit himself but the revelation/operative in fullness is revealed from glory to glory, meaning gradually as Jesus advances to fulfill His mission.

In this understanding Created Wisdom, from Solomon to Jesus time is also revealed in the fullness gradually as the description of Wisdom is the personification of Jesus and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ lived the "gift of wisdom" in full as He is the source of Wisdom and cosubstantial and united to the Holy Spirit.

But we know that the Created Wisdom is like a full & perfect reflection of Jesus Christ the Uncreated Wisdom.

If we can answer who is the full and perfect reflection of Jesus Christ then we can discover who is the Created Wisdom or the gift of wisdom according to St.Montfort.

From the Catholic Church Teaching it teaches St.Augustine belief by calling Mary as the "Seat of Wisdom", And this teaching is affirmed in CCC721.

721 Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom."

In her, the "wonders of God" that the Spirit was to fulfill in Christ and the Church began to be manifested:

In CCC721, we can see that Mary was described as the "dwelling place of the Son" and also the "dwelling place of the Holy Spirit" and even among men.

Now were getting clearer, Mary is the "Seat of Wisdom" as CCC721 teaches.

And Mary became the fitting description of the full & perfect reflection of Jesus Christ and the manifestation of the Love & Mercy of the Holy Spirit.

The question is, is the Catholic Church teaches that "Mary is the perfect personification and manifestation of the Holy Spirit?

Going back to Wisdom in Proverbs8, the answer to this can be clearly seen from Solomon Prayer in Wisdom9:1-4 gives a good details of what Solomon is asking God to give him.

What kind of Wisdom did Solomon ask in Wisdom9:1-4?

“O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy, who have made all things by your word,and by your wisdom have formed humankind to have dominion over the creatures you have made, and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul, give me the wisdom that sits by your throne,

Let's examine the difference of the Wisdom that Solomon asked God and the Wisdom that the Catholic Church teaches in CCC721.

"Solomon said "give me the wisdom that sits by your throne,"

We can see Solomon a King is asking a Wisdom to govern his people as King., and this Wisdom according to Solomon is Created and emanates from God as the source of Wisdom and this Created Wisdom is a "spirit that sits on God's throne"

Now, in contrast Mary's prayer was a totally different one, the handmaid of the Lord is asking God to grant the prayers of His people to send them a Savior.

Mary was not praying for Created Wisdom, Mary is asking for the Uncreated Wisdom to come the LOGOS our Savior Jesus Christ.

And Mary being the handmaid is asking for the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords to come", She is not after for the Wisdom in Proverbs8:22 that King Solomon asked.

So to answer who is the Wisdom in Proverbs8:22 that Solomon prayed for and asked God?

Clearly King Solomon was not asking for the Logos/Uncreated Wisdom but a Created Wisdom a gift of Wisdom to govern his people as King of Israel.

Solomon describes Wisdom as a Mother, Teacher, Consoler,Comforter and a Prophet.

All this is the manifestation too of the "Advocate,Paraclete,Helper,Spirit of Truth" in John gospel.

And since spirit of Created Wisdom existed before the creation began.

There is only one creature "a soul of a Mother" who existed too before the creation time began, She existed in eternity as a Divine Thought "Chosen to be the Theotokos" and the Cathecism of the Catholic Church teaches this doctrine as an article of faith.

For added biblical support; aside from the Most Holy Trinity in the Book of Genesis before creation time begin in Genesis1:3 "LET THERE BE LIGHT".

It is worthy to reflect on Genesis1:2

And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.

One school of thought on this verse supported Colossians1:16, because this passage can be interpreted as the earth was empty & void because everything is created for Him/Jesus and in Him.Jesus must be created first.

And so this passage is composed, of the Holy Spirit forming Jesus/Logos into the waters of the Womb of Mary.(this is not only my reflections I saw this in one of CSE thread question and expound it deeper by relating it to Colossians).

So, we can relate that the "soul of Mary" existing in the Divine Thought of God from eternity is witnessing God's creation, Mary is the highest and exalted among all creatures including angels because She existed outside of time.(Ephesians1:3-4)

Catholic official teaching in Catechism states, Mary was chosen in eternity and existed in the Divine thought.

Therefore, if we embraced the combined reflections and narration of Wisdom in Proverbs, Sirach, Ecclesiates,Psalm, Book of Wisdom, etc. we can see that the passages pertains to a Created Wisdom one that is on the side of the Almighty God watching how He created everything and in time became the instrument of God revelation of his Divine Plan for man's salvation.

Let me close by saying this;

In eternity God desires to share His goodness by creating mankind.

In eternity God the Father begotten His only beloved Son.

In eternity, after God begotten His beloved Son co-substantial and One with Him, the Begotten Son dreamed of a Mother in eternity.

The Begotten Son, "begots" and "created" an image of Her Mother in eternity.

In eternity the Holy Spirit chosen the the Dreamed Mother to be Her Spouse.

And so CCC721 stated,

Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men...

In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom."

In closing, Solomon was given the gift of wisdom to govern but it does not pertains to the Saviour Jesus Christ.While Mary She became the "Seat of Wisdom".

Now, how can we reconcile Mary depicted in the image as the "Seat of Wisdom", if Jesus is Wisdom?

Let's ponder the prayer of King Solomon;

"Give me that Wisdom that sits by your throne." (Wis 8.21; 9.4)

In the image, the Wisdom Jesus Christ does not sits on the Throne, rather Jesus sits on Mary's lap and so Mary is the one sitting on the Throne.

Is Jesus the Incarnate Wisdom ascending into Heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father, be fulfilling the prophecy in the Old Teastament that a King will give the Throne to the Queen?(it's good to ponder this)

As Mary's Seven Sorrows merited the full & perfect dwelling place to house the Sevenfold Gifts of the Holy Spirit and upon entering into Heavenly Glories was crowned "Sovereign Queen of Heaven & Earth".

and the mystery behind all this is beautifully and powerfully phrase by St.Louis De Montfort;

WISDOM is the Cross and the Cross is WISDOM.

Catholic theologians have consistently identified "Wisdom" in Proverbs 8 as the Christ. For example, we find a recent example in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible:

The personification of Wisdom in the OT prepares for the revelation of the Trinity in the NT. In particular, this theme reaches its full development when Jesus is revealed as the eternal Son of God. Not only is Christ the incarnation of God's wisdom (1 Cor 1:24), but he was present with God before the foundation of the world. (commentary on 8:22–31)

And again:

The passage is a prophecy of the Incarnation, meaning the Lord Jesus was created of the Virgin for the purpose of redeeming the works of the Father. Thus, the flesh of Christ is for the sake of created things, yet his divinity existed before them. (commentary on 8:22)

This understanding goes back to the early church. Justin Martyr connects Wisdom in Proverbs 8:22–24 to Christ in his Dialogue with Trypho, 129, and the Apostolic Constitutions connects the creation of wisdom with the incarnation of Christ:

Thou hast also appointed festivals for the rejoicing of our souls, that we might come into the remembrance of that wisdom which was created by Thee; how He submitted to be made of a woman on our account (7.2.36)

Ambrose is pretty unequivocal:

Hereby we are brought to understand that the prophecy of the Incarnation, The Lord created me the beginning of His ways for His works, (Proverbs 8:22) means that the Lord Jesus was created of the Virgin for the redeeming of the Father's works. Truly, we cannot doubt that this is spoken of the mystery of the Incarnation. (Exposition of the Christian Faith, 3.7.46)

This text was a key battleground in the Arian controversy, so we find Athanasius repeatedly making the connection between Wisdom and Christ:

For nothing new was created in woman, save the Lord's body, born of the Virgin Mary without intercourse, as also it says in the Proverbs in the person of Jesus: 'The Lord created me, a beginning of His ways for His works' (Proverbs 8:22). (Statement of Faith 3.4)

Bede writes in his commentary on Proverbs:

In another translation, this passage begins, "The Lord created me at the beginning of his ways in his works." The fathers understand this saying to be about the Lord's incarnation. (1.8.22–30 (Latin only))

We can also point to the implicit connection made between Proverbs 8 and Christ in Aquinas, Summa, First Part, 46.1.

Returning to the 20th century, we find a helpful collection/summary of this tradition in Haydock's commentary:

Some explain this [Proverbs 8:1] of the light which is communicated to men; but the Fathers apply it to Jesus Christ, some of the expressions regarding his divinity, and others his human nature. [...]

As Christ was with God, equal to him in eternity. Jo. i. Sept. "created," which many of the Fathers explain of the word incarnate, (see Corn. a Lapide. Bossuet) or he hath "placed me," (S. Athan. iii. con. Arian. Euseb.) a pattern of all virtues. [...]

Wisdom, or Jesus Christ, is our salvation, happiness, and life. (Commentary on Proverbs 8)

Thus we see that, in addition to other ancient and modern thinkers, some of the most respected theologians in Catholicism (Ambrose, Athanasius, Bede, and Aquinas are all Doctors of the Church), considered "Wisdom" of Proverbs 8:22ff. as referring to Christ.