O Adonai
Earlier this Advent I was privileged to give a Lenten retreat in the Kraków church of the Most Blessed Trinity, home to the city’s Dominican community. You can hear an abbreviated version of my meditation on the antiphon O Adonai here. The first occurrence of the divine name אדוני is in Genesis 15.2. It comes in response to Abram’s expostulation after God had appeared to him and said, ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward shall be exceedingly great!’ Abram was exasperated by the disproportion between this wondrous promise and his reality. No progeny had been given him. Should Eliezer of Damascus then be his heir?! A confession of God’s lordship is not necessarily tantamount to visionary clarity. Abram’s confession led him into the deepest core of the night where, hoping against hope, his faith was ‘counted to him for righteousness’ (15:5). The stars of the night were his pledge. You can hear the antiphon sung by Dominicans here.
