Jesse Tree

As multiple relatives keep reminding me, Christmas is just 2 months away. Though I feel like I just barely pulled together Halloween in time... I've been asked to start thinking ahead. One favorite Advent tradition that we have adopted is the Jesse Tree. If you'd like to try it this year, I recommend planning now!

The
Jesse Tree
is an Advent tradition
named after Jesse,
the father of King David.
Biblical symbols representing the
ancestry of Jesus,
either in faith or bloodline,
are added one by one onto a tree.
As each ornament is
added, a Bible verse is read to
explain the symbol. There is one ornament
for each
day in
Advent.

I feel like praying through the stories of the Jesse Tree has really increased my understanding & my recall of the Old Testament in relation to the New. There are many ways to do it. Each night during Advent our family goes downstairs around the *Christmas* tree. We read a story out of the children's Bible, sometimes sing a verse of an Advent song, & hang the ornament related to the Biblical figure on the tree. A couple of years ago a bunch of friends each picked a story, meditated on it, made 25 of ornaments to represent it, & then swapped with each other to have a full set. It turned out awesome! If you would like details on how we made it work, I'd be glad to pass them along. Below are the readings & associated ornament for each day of this Advent. The third week is the 'O Antiphons' & the final week finds us reading many Christmas stories & travelling so I we stop with the actual Jesse Tree additions on the 21st.

November 29 Explain Jesse Tree

Put up tree & add only lights
November 30 Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4

Symbol: earth star
December 1 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24

Symbol: tree
December 2 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7, 23-24

Symbol: apple with snake
December 3 Noah: Gen. 6:5-22; 7:17-24; 8:1-22

Symbol: rainbow with dove
December 4 Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3

Symbol: torch & sword in starry sky
December 5 Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14

Symbol: bundle of wood
December 6 Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15

Symbol: ladder with angels
December 7 Joseph: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15

Symbol: coat of many colors
December 8 Moses: Ex. 2:1-10

Symbol: 10 Commandments
December 9 Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18

Symbol: oil lamp
December 10 Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13

Symbol: stump with leaf
December 11 David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51

Symbol: slingshot
December 12 Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-28

Symbol: temple
December 13 Jonah: Jonah 1:1-17

Symbol: whale
December 14 Nativity Story

Christmas Angel
December 15 Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25

Symbol: Joseph’s shield on fish
Mary: Luke 1:26-38

Symbol: crown of stars
December 16 John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8

Symbol: shell with dove
December 17 Jesus is Wisdom: Sirach 24:2; Wisdom 8:1

Symbol: open book
Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1

Symbol: I AM burning bush
December 18 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3

Symbol: flower
Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22

Symbol: key
December 19 Jesus is Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7

Symbol: globe with rising sun
Jesus is King: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20

Symbol: crown
December 20 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22

Symbol: chalice with Eucharist
Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14

Symbol: sun
December 21 Nativity: Luke 2:1-20

Symbol: baby Jesus

Decorate tree!