The 'O' Antiphons for Gaza: O Radix Jesse

Autun Ghiselbertus Capital Foliage growing

19th December - 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.

O Root of Jesse

Branch that sprang from the stock of Kings

not only the Promised One;

A sign of deliverance for faithful ones.

But the contrariness of Gods love

who confounds our selfishness,

our expectations of reward and punishment,

of power and glory.

and gives us the humus ,

the dust from which all of us come.

O Christ, branch of Jesse

You died on the wood of the cross

the dead rood, which bursts into life

offering us saplings;

To graft in our lives;

To become part of Yourself.

O come deliverer, free Your people

from a tyranny of their making;

A mire of anger and sin!

Heal the nations,

by transforming our dirt and dark deeds

into a compost of goodness,

hard though it might be .

O Christ, Root, Branch, Deliverer,

may we be silent before your powerful love.