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.
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