O Adonai

O Adonai, and leader of the house of Israel, you appeared in the bush to Moses in a flame of fire, and gave him the law on Sinai: come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

One way to think of the O Antiphons is as the Christmas version of the Great Vigil of Easter.  There, we read of the history of God’s faithfulness to Israel, from creation to the promise of restoration, before we light the candles and hear the Easter story.  Here, we hear the same story, leading to the candlelight of the Incarnation.  With “O Wisdom” we began at creation again.  Today we remember God’s power in the desert before Moses as he was called to lead the people out of slavery.  

Today you might read Exodus 3:1-16, the story of the burning bush.  Adonai, which means “Lord,” is a way of referring to the Holy One who is beyond names.  In many Bibles it is capitalized, so we remember that this is not a proper name but a necessary reference.  God is a mystery, but a mystery in our midst.

Moses is told to trust his experience, to trust this voice with his life.  And he does.  He tells the people he’s been sent.  He tells Pharaoh.  He keeps going.  He leads them out, and he returns to the mountain to receive the Law.  And even with all that, with plagues and safe passage through the Red Sea, the people will forget and fall away.  As do we.

But God will keep trying.  Stay tuned.