O Adonai

The O Antiphon for December 18th:

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,et ei in Sina legem dedisti:veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!

O come, Adonai, Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Adonai is the Lord.

Adonai is the One who Is and Was and Ever Shall Be.

Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.

Adonai is the name of God that you say when you pray, because The Name that the Lord God spoke to Moses is too sacred to speak aloud.

Adonai came to Moses in the bush that was burning but was not consumed by fire. Moses had fled from Egypt, but Adonai sent Moses back– back to where the children of Israel suffered in captivity. Moses went back, and Adonai set the children of Israel free. Adonai made their neighbors favor them, so the Israelites plundered Egypt and left loaded down with silver and gold. Adonai led them across the Red Sea and destroyed Pharaoh’s army behind them. The children of Israel stood on the far shore and sang a song of triumph. “I will sing to Adonai, He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. Adonai is my strength and my song; He is become my salvation.”

Adonai led the Israelites to Mount Sinai, in the pillar of cloud. Up on Mount Sinai, Moses received the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments.

At the bottom of Sinai, the Israelites broke the Decalogue. They broke every commandment Adonai had given them. They melted their riches from Egypt into a golden idol and committed every evil they could conceive in that idol’s name, because Moses had taken too long for their tastes, up on the mountain, receiving the Decalogue from Adonai.

Adonai led them to the Promised Land, because Adonai remains faithful.

In the Promised Land, the children of Israel sinned more often than I can recount, and Adonai remained faithful. Again and again they sinned, and the consequences of their sin came down upon them. Again and again they repented, and Adonai forgave and healed them. Again and again they forgot Him and went back to their old ways. The Ark of the Covenant where the Decalogue was hidden was carried off by Philistines, and returned. Solomon built a temple to the Lord; the Temple was demolished and rebuilt. The Israelites went away in exile, returned, and were conquered again. Adonai remained faithful.

In the fullness of time, Adonai became one of the children of Israel.

He entered into the womb of a woman called Miriam, and made His dwelling among us.

The day is coming and will be here soon, when Adonai will come forth from the body of Miriam.

He will grow up obedient to the Law that He gave to Moses on Sinai; He will not turn away or sin. He will go up the mountain and preached the fulfillment of the Law– not abolishing but fulfilling the whole of the Law– to anyone who came up to listen: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are they who mourn. Blessed are the meek. In the end, the people will be unfaithful as they always are and they will break the Law. They will murder Him at the top of the mountain known as Golgatha.

But He will rise again, because Adonai is the Lord of all, and death cannot contain Him.

And He will forgive and heal anyone who repents and comes to Him, because Adonai remains faithful.

We await that day in joyful hope.

That day is almost here.

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,et ei in Sina legem dedisti:veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Come, Adonai, Lord of Might.

(image via Pixabay)