REFLECTION:

The second O Antiphon -

O Leader of the House of Israel,

giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:

come to rescue us with your mighty power!



As I mentioned yesterday, my sister is due to give birth to her fourth son this coming January. This week, she shared with us that she is now discerning what name to give her baby. She said she wants our dad’s name to be the middle name of her son—a beautiful way of honoring family and memory. The challenge, of course, is that all three of her other sons’ names begin with the letter F, so now we are all wondering what “F” name she will come up with this time.

There is something deeply meaningful about choosing a name. A name is not just a label; it carries identity, history, relationship, and hope. Long before we ever see the child face to face, we speak the name. We imagine the child. We prepare a place for him. And then one day, the name we have spoken for months finally has a face, a voice, and a presence.

This is what today’s O Antiphon invites us to reflect on.

In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself as Adonai—a name so holy that it was spoken with reverence and even restraint. Israel knew God by His titles and His promises. They heard His voice through a burning bush. They encountered His presence on Mount Sinai. They spoke His name, but they could not yet see Him face to face.

Yet Advent reminds us that God was never content to remain distant.

As we move toward Christmas, something extraordinary happens. The name that was once spoken in awe and mystery becomes flesh. The God who once spoke through fire now speaks through a child’s cry. The Lord who gave the Law now enters the world under the law. On Christmas Day, Adonai is no longer encountered only through signs and symbols—He is seen, held, and born among us as Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Just as parents speak a child’s name long before they hold the child in their arms, Advent is the season when the Church speaks the names of the coming Savior—Adonai, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace—while waiting for the moment when we will once again behold Him in the manger.

This is the beauty of our faith: the God whose name was once too holy to utter chooses to draw so close that we can look upon His face. Advent teaches us to wait, to trust, and to believe that God always keeps His promises. The name we have been longing for finally becomes a presence among us.

And as Christmas approaches, we are reminded that our God is not only named—He is with us.

As we draw closer to Christmas, how am I preparing not just to speak God’s name, but to truly welcome His presence into my life?