December 18 2024 - O Adonai - Lord God and Lawgiver

  

Yesterday, began that wonderful part of the church year called “late Advent” the seven days leading up to Christmas. And on each of the days of late Advent, we use one of the ancient chants known as the O Antiphons. 

Each of the O Antiphons highlights a title for the Messiah—and an important aspect of his identity and mission: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel ( God with us). 

Today we sang, O Adonai, O Lord, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and gave him the law at Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

Adonai is the Hebrew word for the Lord God. When you are reading the Old Testament in Hebrew, and you come across the word ‘Lord, the Hebrew word is Adonai. 

So today’s O Antiphon highlights something of great importance about the child born on Christmas. He is God. He is the God who appeared at the burning bush—the one who heard the cries of the Hebrew people enslaved in Egypt, who delivered them out of the land of Egypt, who gave the Law at Sinai to help them to be a holy people. 

Again, this O Antiphon helps us to remember that Jesus Christ is born to deliver us, to save us. We heard this from the lips of the angel in the Gospel this morning. The angel tells Joseph that Mary will bear a child and he is to name the child Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. 

And just as God freed the people from physical slavery in Egypt, he gave the 10 commandments at Sinai to help people live free from slavery to the ways of evil and sin. In his teaching, the Lord Jesus stresses the importance of following the commandments of God through which we attain to the moral and spiritual perfection befitting of the sons and daughters of God. 

Knowing how difficult this is, the O Antiphon cries out to God, asking him to “come to redeem us with an outstretched arm” 

These final days of Advent help us to draw near to the Lord in wonder and awe, and continue to seek that deliverance from evil through our obedience to him, that transformation of our mind and heart and life that he desires for us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That the Pope Francis, all bishops and priests, religious and laity may shine with the Light of Christ’s love for the scattered peoples of the earth. 

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated from God through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.

That our young people will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

1st Week of Lent 2023 - Friday - The opposite of sin

The Gospel reading for today should sound familiar, we heard it just two weeks ago on the 6th Sunday of ordinary time. For a few weeks leading up to Lent, in fact, our Gospels were being taken from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, his instructions to his followers on how to live a life of blessedness—of holiness. Growth in holiness is certainly one of the purposes of Lent.

“Unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

The scribes and Pharisees were admired for their zeal, concern for purity, their conformity to the law of Moses.  The very word Pharisee came comes from the word meaning “to separate”. For the Pharisees sought to separate themselves from everything that was sinful. They would even avoid eating with sinners, hence, their consternation when Jesus would dine with tax collectors and prostitutes.  

How could our holiness possibly "surpass" that of the people of Jesus' day who obeyed every letter of the law?  It sounds as if Jesus has just set the highest standards in history.  

Well, what is the Lord doing in the Gospel today. He’s takes one of the 10 commandments. He mentions how most people of his time understand faithfulness to that commandment to be, and then says, no, my followers need to do better than that. Don’t just avoid murder, avoid hateful thoughts that could lead to hostility and also seek to make peace. Don’t just avoid adultery, avoid lustful thoughts that could lead to sins of the flesh, and seek to purify your heart from all perversion. Don’t just avoid theft, avoid thoughts of greed and envy that lead to stealing, and avoid emotional attachment to possessions by giving them to the needy. 

Not only do we need to turn away from sin, we need to turn towards goodness, selflessness. For Jesus isn’t holy simply because He is without sin, but because his charity overflows. Similarly with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary isn’t holy simply because she never sinned, but because her soul became an ocean of grace. And with all the saints whom we honor throughout the year. They are holy not simply because the avoid sin, but they sought to root out all attitudes that could lead to sin and engaged with real intentional effort.

The opposite of sin isn’t simply not sinning; the opposite of the selfishness of sin is the active engagement in patterns of goodness, charity, and mercy. The opposite of sin is the Love of the Sacred Heart, enflamed with charity, embracing the crown of thorns and all suffering, for the supreme good of others.

It is this transformation we seek during Lent, not simply avoid sin, but engagement in charity, which is the very life of God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people surpassing holiness seen in works of goodness, justice, and charity.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. And for all victims of the coronavirus and their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.