December 1, Rev. Dr. James A. Lee II

O Adonai

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai: Come with an outstretched arm and redeem us.

Adam bequeathed to his progeny a servitude of sin. The entire tree of Adam, roots to branches, shares in this inheritance.

It is fitting that the second O Antiphon recalls the exile of Israel during her bondage to the house of Pharoah. For we are still the children of Adam, the children of Jacob. We are still in exile. Ours is a world of servitude and bondage. Vice is the taskmaster of our age, and it is a lord that people willingly serve. We live among a people governed by their basest desires, who invite us to join along in the despotism of debauchery. Our society calls this freedom, liberty, progress, but do not be deceived, you know what this is: slavery masquerading as autonomy. What people call freedom is nothing more than the old taskmaster.

So, during the waning days of Advent, the Church directs our thoughts to the bush that burned with flames of fire but which was not consumed. For what was that blazing tree but an image of the Man whose entire humanity was aflame by the fire of God’s own nature. There is only one hope for the tree of Adam engulfed in sin: the Second Adam, sinless and virtuous, who was consumed by the wrath of the Father. Grafted into His side, we, children of Adam, have freedom.

O Adonai, come and redeem us by thy outstretched arm.

Rev. Dr. James Ambrose Lee II

Associate Professor of Theology, Concordia University Chicago

Christ Academy Student, 2001, 2002 Christ Academy Proctor, 2004–2006; Christ Academy Germany 2004 Christ Academy Presenter, 2019, 2021