Opening Prayer:

O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!

Radix Jesse: Root of Jesse

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem,

from ev’ry foe deliver them

that trust Thy mighty power to save,

and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

Isaiah 11:1

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

Isaiah 11:10

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

 Isaiah 52:15

so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

 Romans 15:12

and again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.’

Reflection by Father Coutts

Root of Jesse.

An iceberg when first sighted has only a tenth of its size visible above water. In a similar manner, Jesus is called the Son of David, – the Root of Jesse. David is the son of Jesse and as such Jesus merits this title.

We look at this title in the same way we look at an iceberg. What  below the ground sustains this huge ancestral tree of Jesus? It is a tree of very mixed heritage. You can read of this tree in Matthew’s Gospel – which is the Gospel for the 23rd December. It is also the day when we use the very last of the O Antiphons.

In his life Jesus was condemned by the Scribes and Pharisees for mixing with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus claimed that his ministry was mainly for the Jews – but in reality it extended to all who were in need: Jew or Gentile. Perhaps sinners, outsiders and strangers were in the very DNA of Jesus. In the patriarchal ancestry, if women were mentioned, it was they played a pivotal role. There were three mentioned in Jesus’ ancestral tree

  • Tamar who was raped by her own kin
  • Rahab who was a prostitute
  • Ruth who was a Moabite, the archenemy of the Jews.

These sinners and outsiders were in his heritage. Jesus was a small seed embedded in the town of Nazareth. Nathaniel would say, “What good can come out of Nazareth?” Yet from Nazareth and the little town of Bethlehem – there would grow a tree like the mustard tree of the parable open for all to find shelter – sinners and gentiles alike. Micah would prophesize, “out of you Bethlehem, least of the clans of Judah shall rise a ruler of Israel.”

It was no wonder, that Herod was afraid, when the Wise men of the East came looking for a King. When you go to Bethlehem, not far from the Nativity scene, is the Shepherd’s field. The chorus of angels brought news of the Holy Birth. Before he was anointed king, David could have well tended the sheep right here. The Kingdom of David would be destroyed, but not entirely since the Root of Jesse would survive. It would abide its time. Revelations Ch. 5 would tell us, “Do not weep. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has triumphed, enabling him to open the seal of the seven scrolls.”

Examen: And so I ask myself: Am I rooted in Christ? Am I fed and nourished by the Word of God? Which word gives me the most light in the darkness?