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Jesse Trees
A Jesse Tree is
a depiction of the genealogy of Jesus
designed in such a way as to show that He springs from the "root of
Jesse," the father of King David, per the prophecy of Isaias 11:1:
And there shall
come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a
flower shall rise up out of his root.
This prophecy
was recalled by St. Paul, and on the first Sunday of Advent, we
remember his words with the Epistle reading of Romans 15:4-13, which
reads, in part:
Wherefore
receive one another, as Christ also hath received you unto the honour
of God. For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision
for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.
But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is
written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
and will sing to thy name. And again he saith: Rejoice, ye Gentiles,
with his people. And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and
magnify him, all ye people. And again Isaias saith: There shall be a
root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him
the Gentiles shall hope.
All throughout
Advent, we will hear references to Christ's ancestors in the Mass
readings.
The artistic depiction of Christ's royal genealogical heritage is very
old; the West facade of Chartres Cathedral, dated to ca. A.D. 1150, for
example, has a lancet window that depicts the "Jesse Tree."
Some Jesse Trees depict the 28 generations listed in Matthew --
starting with Jesse and ending in Jesus. Others depict representatives
from that genealogy (Jesse, David, Solomon, etc.) as do most medieval
Jesse Trees. Most modern Jesse Trees use symbols which summarize the Old
Testament
and show, basically, the history of the world up to Christ (Adam and
Eve, Noe, Abraham, etc.). Tjhough the symbols used can differ from
family to family, the last seven symbols should refer to the titles of
Christ used in the O Antiphons sung on
the Golden Nights.
A Jesse Tree in the home, then, is simply the Advent custom of using a
collection of symbols that portray the fact that Jesus has come, as
predicted, from the root of Jesse. These symbols can be hanged on a
small, literal tabletop-sized tree, or on a branch brought in from
outside. They can be hanged on small artificial trees made of wood or
metals, or on two-dimensional wooden trees. Some might place them on
the family's otherwise undecorated Christmas tree which will be
ornamented with Christmas decorations and lighted on Christmas Eve.
The symbolic ornaments -- which can vary from family to family -- can
be storebought or homemade -- for example, painted onto wooden rounds,
made of wood carved into shapes, embroidered onto linen rounds which
are then
sewn onto round hoops to hold their shape, painted on paper, cut out
from cardboard or felt, etc. Gorgeous paintings and graphics could be
scanned,
printed out, and decoupaged onto wood and shellacked. Or they can be
made,
like Christmas Tree ornaments, out of "Baker's
Clay."
Some families add ornaments to their Jesse Trees one each
day, starting on 1 December to time with the Advent Calendar and O Antiphons (24 ornaments); others add
them all at once on 1 December. Some make Jesse trees that stress
prophecy, with symbols of the Old Testament Prophets and the Sibyls; others make ones that stress the
history of the world from creation. Whatever works for your family is
fine, but whatever you do, and whatever symbols you use, the point
should be to show that Christ springs from the root of Jesse, per
Isaias's prophecy, with Christ (or a symbold of Christ) at the
apex.
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Suggested
Symbols for a 24-Day Jesse Tree
Stressing Prophecy & Typology |
Suggested
Symbols for a 24-Day Jesse Tree Stressing the History of the World |
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December 1
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Melchisedech
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a man offering
bread and wine
(Genesis 14:18)
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Creation |
sun, moon,
stars, animals, earth; symbols of the four elements (earth, air, fire,
water)
(Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-4) |
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December 2
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Abraham
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a man holding a
knife
(Genesis 12:1-3)
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Adam and Eve |
Adam & Eve;
Tree of Life
(Genesis 2:7-9, 18-24) |
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December 3
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Isaac
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a man preparing
to be sacrificed on an altar, ram, bundle of wood
(Genesis 22:1-14)
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The Fall of Man |
Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil, serpent, bitten apple (Genesis 3:1-7 and
23-24) |
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December 4
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Jacob
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man dreaming of
a ladder to Heaven, head upon a rock
(Genesis 25:1-34; 28:10-15)
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Noe |
ark, animals,
dove, rainbow
(Genesis 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22) |
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December 5
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Moses
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man holding the
tablets with the Commandments (Exodus 20)
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Abraham |
knife
(Genesis 12:1-3) |
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December 6
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Isaias
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a man being
martyred by a saw
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Isaac |
bundle of wood,
altar, ram
(Genesis 22:1-14) |
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December 7
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Jesse
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tree stump with
flower
(1 Kings 16:1-13)
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Jacob |
ladder, man
sleeping with head on a rock
(Genesis 25:1-34; 28:10-15) |
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December 8
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David
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slingshot, a man
playing a
harp
(1 Kings 17:12-51)
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Joseph |
well,
multi-colored tunic
(Genesis 25:1-34; 28:10-15) |
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December 9
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Ezechiel
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a man seeing the
four living creatures/symbols of the Evangelists
(Ezechiel 1)
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Moses |
baby in basket
among reeds, Commandments
(Exodus 2:1-10) |
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December 10
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Daniel
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a man among the
lions
(Daniel 14)
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Samuel |
lamp, temple
(1 Kings 2:21, 3:1-20) |
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December 11
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Jeremias
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a man holding a
scroll
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Jesse |
tree stump with
flower
(1 Kings 16:1-13) |
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December 12
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Malachias
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Eucharist and
incense
(Malachias 1:10-11)
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David |
slingshot, harp
(1 Kings 17:12-51) |
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December 13
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The Cumean Sibyl
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very old woman
in a cave surrounded with leaves she writes on, or
a jar holding her voice
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Solomon |
temple, scales
of Justice,
sword and baby
(III Kings 3:5-14, 16-28) |
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December 14
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The Erythraean
Sibyl
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a woman holding
a scroll or writing on leaves
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Joseph |
carpenter's
tools, flowering staff
(Matthew 1:18-25) |
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December 15
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The Tiburtine
Sibyl
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a woman holding
a book and/or talking to the Emperor Augustus about the coming of Christ
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Our Lady |
lily, crown of
stars, pierced heart, roses
(Genesis 3:15, Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38) |
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December 16
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John the Baptist
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scallop shell,
locusts, honey, tall slim Cross
(Mark 1:1-8)
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John the Baptist |
scallop shell,
locusts, honey, tall slim Cross
(Mark 1:1-8) |
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The Golden
Nights Begin
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December 17
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Christ as
Sapientia
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the Eye of God,
a triangle or trefoil to symbolize the Trinity, the word Logos in
Greek, oil lamp
(Isaias 28:29; Wisdom 11:2-3)
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December 18
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Christ as Adonai
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the burning
bush, the tablets of the Ten Commandments
(Isaias 11:4-5, 33:22)
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December 19
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Christ as Radix
Jesse
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flowering vine,
flower
(Isaias 11:1,10, Micheas 5:1)
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December 20
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Christ as Clavis
David
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key
(Isaias 22:22, Isaias 9:6)
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December 21
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Christ as Oriens
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rising sun
(Isaias 9:2)
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December 22
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Christ as Rex
Gentium
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scepter, crown
(Isaias 9:7, 2:4)
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December 23
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Christ as
Emmanuel
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Chalice and Host
(Isaias 7:14; 33:22)
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Christmas Eve
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The Nativity
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Mary holding the
Infant Jesus, the Star of Bethlehem
(Luke 2:1-20)
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