Friday, December 19 – “O Root of Jesse”

Scripture

“Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the

altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.

But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard.

Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.’” Luke 1:5-25

Reflection

Today’s O Antiphon proclaims: “O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the

peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer:

come and deliver us, and delay no longer.”

The “Root of Jesse” refers to the family line from which the Messiah would spring,

the royal house of David. Yet by the time of Christ’s coming, that line seemed like a dead

stump. Israel was weary, oppressed, and seemingly forgotten. But from that withered root,

God caused new life to blossom: the tender shoot of a Savior born in humility.

In Zechariah’s story, we glimpse this renewal taking shape. An elderly priest and his

barren wife receive the impossible promise of a son, John the Baptist, the forerunner who

will prepare the way of the Lord. Zechariah’s initial doubt mirrors the spiritual barrenness

of Israel, but God’s word prevails: life springs forth where there was none.

Advent reminds us that God’s promises do not die, even when hope seems buried.

The Root of Jesse continues to bring forth life in unexpected places, in hearts once

hardened, in communities once despairing, in souls that dare to trust again.

As members of the EOHSJ, this O Antiphon calls to mind your mission to help the

Christian roots of faith flourish again in the land of their origin. The Holy Land, so often

marked by struggle and suffering, is also the soil of hope, the place where God once made

the impossible possible. To sustain its living stones is to help that ancient root bear fruit

once more.

Prayer

O Root of Jesse, You spring forth as the sign of hope for all nations. Revive in us

the joy of Your promises and bring new life where faith has grown weary. May our hearts,

like Elizabeth’s womb, be opened to receive Your grace in abundance. Amen.

Meditation Question

Where do I see signs of God bringing new life from what seems barren or hopeless?

How can I help nourish the roots of faith, in my family, community, or in the Holy Land?