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.

December 18 2020 - O Adonai (School Mass)

 

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, as you heard just prior to the Gospel, was the ancient chant called the “O Antiphon”. Each day of late Advent uses one of the O Antiphons to call upon God, to bless us, and teach us, to lead us. It is typically sung in latin, because that was the language of the Church when the O Antiphons were composed. And that’s the great thing about Catholicism, we use latin, Greek, Hebrew, and our own native tongues to praise God, and for Christians in Cleveland that might be English, Spanish, Italian, german, Arabic, and others. All the people of the world are called to gather together to worship the One True God.

And that’s what today’s O Antiphon is all about. Today’s O Antiphon is one of the rare days where we call upon God with one of his Hebrew titles from the Old Testament, we called him, “O Adonai” . Adonai is one of the Hebrew titles for God which calls upon him as the Lord of all Creation. The whole O Antiphon said, “O Adonai, O Lord God and Leader of the House of Israel” who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the law of the covenant on mount Sinai, come with your outstretched arm to redeem us all. 

This O Antiphon calls to mind that the One True God and Lord of all creation, appeared to Moses in the burning bush and commissioned Moses to free the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. That same Lord of all Creation then gave Moses the 10 commandments, so that the people that he just freed from physical slavery could live free from slavery to the ways of evil and sin. The O Antiphon calls upon Adonai, the Lord of Creation to come and save us and redeem us.

I really love these O Antiphons and I sing them every day, because they really help us to prepare for and remember what Christmas is all about. It is about God, the one true God, and Lord of all Creation, who frees people from slavery and sin, taking on human flesh, becoming one of us, to save us and redeem us. And not just a particular people, who speak only one particular language, but rather, all the people of the earth. All the people of the earth are called to know him, believe in him, and love him. 

To all of our school families, I pray that your Christmas breaks may be blessed with a deep and abiding love for the Christ Child, our Adonai, our Emmanuel, our savior and redeemer, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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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.

December 18 2019 - The Lord our Justice

Yesterday, we heard one of the most ancient prophecies in the bible that the messiah would have royal lineage. Old dying Jacob prophecied to his son Judah, that from him would come a ruler, a king. And that prophecy certainly came true, as David the first king of the united Israel, came from the tribe of Judah. But, as the royal line continued, through David, then Solomon, and so on, those kings failed miserably in their royal duties and obligations. They allowed pagan idolatry to take root in their land, prostitution, child sacrifice, adultery and sexual deviance. David’s line appeared to be more of a lineage of unjust kings, a lineage of the unrighteous. And because of their poor leadership, Israel’s political and religious identity suffered and Israel became subject to foreign invasions from a host of enemies, particularly the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

During the Babylonian captivity God raised up a prophet, Jeremiah to preach to the people of Israel about the need to return to the precepts of the God of Israel and to purify their religion from foreign corruption. And in particularly scathing address to those unjust kings and their failures, Jeremiah offered a word of hope, the prophecy we heard today, of a righteous shoot, a righteous branch from the royal line of David, God will deliver Israel from those unjust kings, and raise up a righteous one.
“As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land…they shall name him the Lord Our Justice”

The O Antiphon for today, December 18, refers to the Messiah as Lord, “O Adonai” the Hebrew word for Lord, “O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel” O Lord and Leader of the House of Israel. Jesus is the just Lord, the righteous one, born of the royal line of David, the fulfillment of God’s promises and the oracles of the prophets.

Of course, we hope and pray that our political leaders will be righteous, who will work for our security and prosperity, who will hopefully stand as bulwarks against the powers of evil and corruption. But we recognize, that no earthly leader can do what Jesus the Lord can do and has done, only he can save us from our sins. Only he can bring the liberation from the powers of darkness in our own souls. Only he can bring eternal life and grant us the inheritance of his eternal kingdom. Only he can make us sons and daughters of God.

May we submit to his rule, and open our minds and hearts every more deeply to the redemption that only he can bring, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a strengthening of all marriages in holiness.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

December 18 2017 - O Adonai

Yesterday began what is often called “Deep Advent” or “Late Advent”.  Where the first two weeks of Advent focus on the Second Coming of Christ at the End of Time, the second half of Advent focuses on his first coming at his birth and his abiding with us.  The scripture and the prayers of the Mass help us to focus on the identity of the Christ Child, and the mission for which he is born.

The Gospel acclamations during these last few days of Advent are the ancient “O Antiphons.” Each Antiphon begins by addressing Christ by one of His messianic titles from the Old Testament. O Sapientia, O Adonai, O Radix Jesse, O Clavis David, O Oriens, O Rex Gentium, and O Emmanuel. The antiphon ends with a heartfelt plea for his coming.

The archangel in the Gospel refers to the Christ Child as a child with many names. He will be called Jesus, who name means “God saves”. His name signifies his identity and mission. Mary’s son is God in the flesh born to save us from or sins.

Archangel Gabriel explains this fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."

Today, I chanted “O Adonai et dux domus Israel”.  O Adonai and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

The Christ Child for whom we prepare is identified with the Lord of Israel and the giver of the law. The O Antiphon refers to the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai and also the prophet Isaiah who says, “Adonai is our lawgiver, Adonai is our king: he will save us.”

Again, preparing well for Christmas isn’t simply about making sure our presents are wrapped and cookies are made. We do well to meditate deeply on the identity and mission of the Christ Child.

Recognizing that the Christ Child is Lord, Adonai, means that we belong to him, we owe our loyalty to Him as subjects to a king, we owe our obedience to his law, and we owe worship to his glory, bringing to him the pure and acceptable offering of the total submission of our minds, hearts, and lives.

May our honor of him help every tongue to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  We pray to the Lord.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a strengthening of all marriages in holiness.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

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

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.