O Root of Jesse - Banner
Author/Artist: The Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey
December 19th :
'O Root of Jesse, who stand as a signal for the peoples, before whom kings will be silent, to whom the nations shall pray, come to free us, delay now no longer.'
'O Radix jesse, qui stas in signum populoram,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos,
jam noli tardare.'
The text is taken from one of Isaiah's great Messianic prophecies (ch.11).
Jesse was the father of King David, Christ's ancestor, and Christ is the flower springing from the ancient root.
On him the Spirit of the Lord will rest, restoring God's creation to its original wholeness and innocence.
He will be given the throne of David, as the Angel announced to Mary (Luke 1:32) and in the Temple of Jerusalem Simeon will take the Christ child in his arms and proclaim him the light of the gentiles, the glory of God's people Israel (Luke 2:29-35).
His life will be marked by both glory and contradiction.
Mary's own heart will be pieced. The coming Kingdom will suffer violence.
The 'O-Antiphons':
A highlight of the Church's Advent Liturgy are the O-Antiphons. From December 17th-23rd they frame the Magnificat at Vespers.
Rich in symbolism and meaning they take us right from the beginning of creation, through the centuries of the world's waiting for the promised Messiah, calling upon him who was hidden in signs and symbols, and revealed when the fullness of time had come, leading us to the Mystery of the Incarnation and beyond, to the Paschal Mystery, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the Parousia.
The exact origin of the Latin texts is unknown. They may date from the sixth century. There is evidence to suggest that the texts were in liturgical use in Rome in the eighth century. Both the original Latin texts and an English translation are given here.
Arriving at the 7th Antiphon on December 23rd, we may discover that the letters of the Latin invocations, read from the last up to the first, form a wonderful acrostic, like God's answer to our prayer :
Sapienta
Adonai
Radix Jesse
Clavis David
Oriens
Rex Gentium
Emmanuel
ERO CRAS : I WILL BE HERE TOMORROW
These banners are reproduced using a dye sublimation printing process on a heavy opaque natural close-weave cotton fabric that hangs well. The colours are fade resistant under normal lighting conditions. All banners are supplied with a hanging cord, rods and end caps top and bottom. An extra depth of approx. 12" should be allowed when measuring to allow for hanging cord. A sample of the material can be supplied upon request.
Standard size 52" x 24" ('A' format) - price: £130.00 + vat. Other sizes available - see options below:
