Devotional thoughts for Friday

Friday 19. December 2014 

Gaudete: 3. Sunday in Advent

O Ratix Jesse 

℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign among the people; before You kings will shut their mouths, to You the nations will make their | prayer:*

℟ Draw near, deliver us, and delay no - longer. 

The O Root of Jesse Antiphon is based upon Isaiah 11,1.10: »A Shoot shall spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. On that day the Root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the people; the nations shall inquire of Him, and His dwelling shall be glorious.« 

Jesse was the father of King David. The Prophet Micah prophesied that the Christ would be of the house and lineage of David and would be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem. The Gospels according to Sts. Matthew and Luke trace Jesus lineage back to David and Jesse. St. Matthew tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 

We see here how God keeps His promises to His people. He promised the Christ would descend from the House of David, and He did. He promised to redeem the world through His Only Son, and He did. He promised to return for us and resurrect our body, and He will. 

Christmas is one event in the fulfillment of those promises, and we rejoice in the Babe of Bethlehem who would grow up and fulfill them for us 2000 ago. 

Prayer: O Jesus, the Root of Jesse and the Christ, rule over us as our King so that we live eternally in Your glorious reign where sin, death and hell are removed from our experience.  Amen.