THIRD GREATER ANTIPHON
O Root of Jesse, who stands as the standard of the people; before whom Kings will not open their lips; to whom the nations will pray: come and deliver us; tarry now no more.Dom Prosper Guéranger:
At length, O Son of Jesse! you are approaching the city of your ancestors. The Ark of the Lord has risen and journeys with the God that is in her to the place of her rest. “How beautiful are your steps, O daughter of the Prince” (Canticles vii. 1) now that you are bringing to the cities of Judah their salvation! The Angels escort you, your faithful Joseph lavishes his love upon you, Heaven delights in you, and our Earth thrills with joy to bear thus upon itself its Creator and its Queen. Go forward, O Mother of God and Mother of Men! Speed thee, thou Propitiatory that holds within you the divine Manna which gives us life! Our hearts are with you, and count your steps. Like your royal ancestor David, we will enter not into the dwelling of our house, nor go up into the bed whereon we lie, nor give sleep to our eyes, nor rest to our temples, until we have found a place in our hearts for the Lord whom you bear, a tabernacle for this God of Jacob” (Psalm cxxxi. 3, 4, 5). Come, then, O Root of Jesse! Thus hid in this Ark of purity, you will soon appear before your people as the standard round which all that would conquer must rally. Then, their enemies, the Kings of the world, will be silenced, and the nations will offer you their prayers. Hasten your coming, dear Jesus! Come and conquer all our enemies, and deliver us.On this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Alexandria in Egypt, blessed Nemesius, martyr, who was first denounced before the judge as a robber, but on being freed from that charge, was soon after, in the persecution of Decius, accused before the judge Emilian of being a Christian. By him he was twice subjected to the torture, and condemned to be burned alive with robbers, thus bearing a resemblance to Our Saviour who was crucified with thieves.
At Nicaea, the Saints Darius, Zosimus, Paul and Secundus, martyrs.
At Nicomedia, the holy martyrs Cyriacus, Paulillus, Secundus, Anastasius, Sindimius and their companions.
In Mauritania (Barbary), St. Timothy, deacon, who, after enduring a painful imprisonment for the faith of Christ, was cast into the fire, where he consummated his martyrdom.
At Gaza in Palestine, the martyrdom of the Saints Meuris and Thea.
At Avignon, blessed Pope Urban V, who deserved well of the Church by restoring the Apostolic See to Rome, by bringing about a reunion of the Latins and Greeks, and by suppressing heretics. Blessed Pius IX approved and confirmed the veneration which had long been paid to him.
At Auxerre, St. Gregory, bishop and confessor.
At Orleans, St. Adjutus, an abbot renowned for the spirit of prophecy.
At Rome, St. Fausta, mother of St. Anastasia, distinguished for noble birth and piety.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
