O Flower of Jesse’s stem / you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples /  kings stand silent in your presence / the nations bow down in worship before you / Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid 

O Flower of Jesse’s stem /

Several months ago, a seemingly dead  tree in our neighbor’s yard fell down in a windstorm. He wasn’t able to get it removed, so it sat there all spring and summer. Amazingly, after a few weeks, my husband and I noticed some green leaves sprouting from the side of the fallen tree. We were very confused! The tree had seemed sick for a while before it fell, and then, lying sideways, more than half of its roots out of the ground, it decided to grow new twigs and leaves? This image has been coming to mind this Advent when I hear the O Radix Jesse / O Flower of Jesse Antiphon.

Almighty God can cause a shoot to blossom from a seemingly dead tree. He did it for the Davidic Line, He did it for my neighbor’s tree, and He can definitely do it for all the barren places in our lives. No matter how dry and lifeless, as long as a tree has roots in good soil, there is a chance. The same is true for our lives: as long as we stay rooted in Sanctifying Grace and the truth about ourselves and our marriages, then God can and will cause us to grow and flower. 

Jesus, You are the Heir of the Davidic Line, the Promised Messiah. Although it seemed like the Tree of Jesse had been cut off, and no flower or fruit would be borne from it again, You brought forth new life and hope from the stump. You brought life into what seemed barren and hopeless. Those of us on the path of infertility and/or loss often feel barren. We can feel that our plans, or hopes, our family name are being cut off. Lord, we beg that You would bring forth from us flower and fruit, that we may also grow and find new hope. Amen.

/ you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples /

A sign points to or tells us about a reality we may otherwise not know about. Traffic signs remind us of speed limits or attractions at upcoming exits. Grocery store signs tell us where we can find the cookies. And the signs of God reveal and point to His power and saving love. 

In John Chapter 2, Jesus works His first sign – at a wedding. We’re familiar with the story: the wine runs out at the couple’s wedding feast, and Our Lady intercedes with her Son to help them. This is a very meaningful sign for me. When I am tempted to feel like the Lord has better things to do than listen to my prayers for fruitfulness and healing, I remember that He helped bring “good wine” from the marriage of the couple in Cana. He wants this to be a sign for all of us, wherever we are on the path, that He wants to be present to us and minister to us in our need.

Beautiful Jesus, You came to save us, to be the Incarnate Sign and Reality of God’s limitless love for His people. We can be tempted to think that Your signs of love are not for us, that You “have better things to do.” Remind us that Your gift of Yourself at the Incarnation is the ultimate sign of Your love and desire to save and help us, no matter how lost or forgotten we feel. Amen.

/ kings stand silent in your presence / the nations bow down in worship before you /

These days, we don’t hear much about silent kings or quiet politicians. Everyone is talking, everyone has an opinion, everyone thinks they know better than everyone else. Silence in the presence of another is usually a sign of awe or deference; a recognition of being small in relation to the other. This kind of respect is not common in our world.

Imagine, then, One in Whose Presence even kings are silent. This is our God. The all-powerful Lord of the Universe Who made Himself small and helpless, and came to us as a little Child. The Christ Child inspires awe and deference in the Three Kings who come to worship Him, and He invites us to also adore Him in silence. Despite our best efforts, Advent can become a crazy time of rush and busyness. The Lord gives us the days of the O Antiphons as another chance to meditate on His imminent coming, and to find even a few minutes to ponder and pray in silence. 

Emmanuel, when all things were in deepest silence, You leapt down from the royal throne and came to be with us. Come, Lord, into the silence of our hearts, and help us to worship You. Help us to be silent with You, and to know Your presence, even when we feel desolate or overwhelmed. You took on our human weakness, be with us in ours. Amen. 

/ Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid /

While not as clear in English, the Latin version of today’s O Antiphon uses the imperative singular form of the verb to come – “veni”. We are not just asking nicely, but imploring, stating, that Christ come to our aid. There is an urgency here that can be easily overlooked.

Recently, I was listening to a Thomistic Institute lecture given by Father Andrew Hofer, OP. (Christ in the O Antiphons, Thomistic Institute Podcast) He was explaining that the O Antiphons underscore our utter need for Him. We are asking Him to come for a purpose, and that purpose is our need for a Savior – our urgent need for a Savior. Sometimes, in the light of hope of Christianity, we can forget how much we have been given, and how dark and hopeless the world must have felt before the Incarnation and the dawn of grace. We need Christ and His grace. Let us implore Him to come again into our hearts, our lives, our homes. He will bring the hope, peace, and joy we so ardently desire. 

Come, Jesus, into the darkness of our lives. Don’t delay, but come to save us and help us with Your grace. We recognize our need for You and implore You – come! Amen.

O Flower of Jesse’s stem / you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples /  kings stand silent in your presence / the nations bow down in worship before you / Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid 

 

Katie Summers and her husband Matthew were married on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2019 and live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She enjoys early morning Holy Hours, coffee dates with Matthew, and good conversations.