“O Root of Jesse, 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.”
Roots are very important. If you are a farmer, a gardener, or even a houseplant grower, you know that it is the root that maintains the plant. It grounds the plant, it derives nourishment from the soil, it gives the new life of a seed a chance to break through the earth so that it may grow and produce.
We probably experience the sustaining power of roots the best when we try to get rid of a weed or a tree. If we do not get the root, the weed almost invariably produces another plant to take the place of the one we pulled out of the ground. When we take down a tree, the roots that are left in the ground often push up new growth.
In today’s “O Antiphon”, O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), we are presented with the image of Jesus as the root of everything. He is the root of creation. He is the root of salvation. He is the root of eternity.
The Root of Jesse, Jesus Christ, can deliver us from our foe. The devil has no power over Jesus. That was proved time and time again throughout the Gospels and proved ultimately when Jesus rose from the dead. It is imperative for us, then, to remain rooted in the Lord.
If we become separated from that root, we will wither and die. If we, however, become deeply entrenched in that root, we will be able to draw strength and nourishment from the Lord and face the evils of the world around us.
FAITH ACTION: Reflect upon the following Advent hymn verse and pray that you may become more rooted in the Lord this day.
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.