The Rod of Jesse “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” (Isaiah 11:1) This is one of the many prophecies regarding the Incarnation of Christ, which clearly states that Christ will be born with royal lineage. The Genealogies of Christ found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, confirm that Jesus’ descendants can be traced back to Jesse through the Holy Theotokos. Our Church hymnography expresses the same message in the Katavasies of Christmas: “Jesse’s root produced a branch, O Christ, and You its flower blossomed forth.” [...]

“My soul clings closely behind You, Your right hand has upheld me” (Psalm 63:8 LXX) «ἐκολλήθη ἡ ψυχή μου ὀπίσω σου, ἐμοῦ δὲ ἀντελάβετο ἡ δεξιά σου» King David in this verse describes the natural longing within the human soul to know, follow and be in communion with God. St Augustine at the beginning of his ‘Confessions’ writes: You move us to delight in praising You, for you have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You…For those who seek the Lord will find Him, and those who find Him shall praise Him. [...]