O Adonai

Sometimes people will speak of the Old and New Testaments as if they were completely different stories. A false distinction is often made between the “God of the Old Testament” (who is apparently mean and distant) and the “God of the New Testament” (who is nice and approachable). However, today’s Gospel reading and the famous “O Antiphons” of Advent tell a different story. The little baby that is to be born in Bethlehem is none other than the great I AM who revealed himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The Jewish people called him “Lord” or, in their language, “Adonai.”