Advent: Week 1-Day 3

We hear a lot from the prophet Isaiah during this Advent season. He puts forth powerful, beautiful images that foreshadow the coming of Christ and what that coming will look like. In today's First Reading, Isaiah gives us one of the most beautiful and beloved images of the Advent season. He says, "On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom."

Jesse was the father of King David, from whose family tree St. Joseph (and by extension, Christ Himself) is a descendent. So the idea of this passage from Isaiah is that from the family tree of Jesse and King David, a bud shall blossom. 

We hear this passage referenced in the beautiful Advent/Christmas song, "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming", in which the birth of Christ is described as a rose blooming and blossoming on a cold night in the dead of winter. (If you're not familiar with this song, do yourself a favor and check it out.)

The coming of Christ among us this Christmas is like a rose that blossoms despite it's cold, wintery surroundings. We live in a cold and dark world, and it is into that cold and darkness that Christ is born, precisely so that He can pull us out of it. 

If at any point during this season, you're feeling cold and dark, and it all seems too much, let this image from Isaiah give you comfort. Christ is coming to bloom in our world and in our hearts, no matter how great is the cold and darkness there. Let His love bloom in you this Christmas and triumph over the cold and darkness. And may you too be always included in the family tree of Jesse, David, Jospeh, and Jesus.

Pax Vobiscum