Dec. 19 : O tree of Jesse
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum
super quem continebunt reges os suum
quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
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.
Radix Iesse, stans in signum populorum:
veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.
O Root of Jesse’s stem
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
Veni, O Iesse virgula, ex hostis tuos ungula,
de spectu tuos tartari educ et antro barathri.
O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem
from every foe deliver them
that trust Thy mighty power to save
and give them victory over the grave.
Readings
Isaiah 11:1-10 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Peaceful Kingdom
11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Isaiah 52:15 New International Version (NIV)
15 so he will sprinkle many nations,a]
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Romans 15:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”a]
