O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings are speechless,
to you
the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us and delay no longer!
We chant this evening’s antiphon,
acclaiming Jesus as “Root of Jesse.” And we recall that he is the Origin and
Source of all our good, all our hope, all our longing. This antiphon is a kind
of gloss on the words of the prophet Isaiah:
On that
day,
The root
of Jesse,
set up as
a signal for the peoples—
Him the
nations will seek out;
his
dwelling shall be glorious.
On that
day,
The Lord
shall again take it in hand
to
reclaim the remnant of his people
…He shall
raise a signal to the nations
and gather the outcasts of Israel...
Jesus is truly the One who gathers and joins together in hope all peoples, scattered by hopelessness, hate, and fear. As we name his “Root of Jesse,” we pray especially for all migrants and refugees.
