O Radix Jesse

By now some of you might be thinking that the O Antiphon words might be sounding kind of familiar, even though you’re not really up on your Gregorian Chant.

In fact, these antiphons are some of the earliest attested antiphons in the Divine Office, being mentioned in passing in the works of Saint Boethius in the early sixth century. The version we’re listening to is the Solemn Tone. There are also less complicated versions in the Monastic Tone and the Simple Tone.

A really good resource on the O Antiphons may be found on Father Z’s site. He goes into a little more depth on each of the antiphons, notes its scriptural basis, and provides a reflection on each. Check it out!

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populórum,
super quem continébunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabúntur:
veni ad liberándum nos, jam noli tardáre.

Englished:

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.

On an unrelated note, I read the first reading from Isaiah at Mass today (Isa 7:10-14). You really kind of get the feeling that the Prophet thought King Ahaz was a bit of a schmuck.

I tried very hard not to let that thought influence my reading, but of course I never really know. When I read at Mass, I can never remember the act of actually reading – maybe it’s like when you’re driving and you arrive at your destination not sure of how you got there.