JESSE TREE PROJECT

The Peaceful Kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-2,6-9)

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord…

The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze,

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.

They will not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

The concept for the Jesse Tree comes from Isaiah 11:1. Each day during December, we read a prescribed bible passage and we create a small ornament as a symbol for the passage that we read. The brief passages are from creation through to the birth of Jesus, and summarize the saving story of our faith. The final week focuses on Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament. The list of passages and ideas for related symbols is posted on our parish website.

We are hoping everyone will participate in some way. You can colour, paint, assemble, sculpt, carve, crochet, solder, bake…any medium that you can make ornament-sized that can hang in the church for up to 4 weeks. Jesse Tree ornaments can be submitted next weekend, and up until December 27th. Please tape/tie on your name, and the passage that the ornament references (if the artist is a child, please include age). There are craft supplies, ornament templates, and reading lists for those preferring a hard copy at the back of the church.

As an incentive for participating, your name(s) will be entered into a ballot box, once for each entry - so you could end up with 24 entries to win the prize. The winner will be announced on December 31st when the Jesse Tree goes on display.

JESSE TREE SCRIPTURES (The symbols are only suggestions)

December 1 Creation: Gen. 1:1-24 Symbols: sun, moon, stars, animals, earth

December 2 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9 ; 18-24 Symbols: tree, man, woman

December 3 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 ; 23-24 Symbols: tree, serpent, apple with bite

December 4 Noah (this is the longest one but a good read; don’t give up!): Gen. 6:5-8 ; 13-22 ; 7:17-24 ; 8:1-22 Symbols: ark, animals, dove, rainbow

December 5 Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3 Symbols: torch, sword, mountain

December 6 Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14 Symbols: bundle of wood, altar, ram in bush

December 7 Jacob: Gen. 25:19-34; 28:10-15 Symbols: kettle, ladder

December 8 Joseph (if you have time, read all of chapter 37): Gen. 37:23-28; 45:1-15 Symbols: bucket, well, silver coins, tunic

December 9 Moses: Ex. 2:1-10 Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes

December 10 Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18 Symbols: lamp, ear, temple

December 11 Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13 Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff

December 12 David: 1 Sam. 17:13-51 Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star

December 13 Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28 Symbols: scales of justice, temple, two babies and sword

December 14 Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25 Symbols: hammer, saw, chisel, angle

December 15 Mary: Luke 1:26-38 Symbols: lily, crown of stars, pierced heart

December 16 John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8 Symbols: shell with water, river

On December 17, the Church begins to intensify the preparation for Christmas with the use of the "O" Antiphons during the Liturgy of the Hours. They are titles for the Messiah, which originate in the prophecies of Isaiah. These are listed below.

December 17 Jesus is Wisdom: Wisdom 9: 9-11, 17 ; Luke 2: 52 Symbols: dove, open book

December 18 Jesus is Lord: Hebrews 1:3-4; Ex. 3:2; Matthew 22:34-40 & 1 Timothy 6:13-14 Symbols: burning bush, stone tablets

December 19 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3 Symbols: flower, plant with flower

December 20 Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22 Symbols: key, broken chains

December 21 Jesus is the Radiant Dawn: Isaiah 9:2 , Psalm 19:1-8 (in older Bibles this will be Psalm 18) Symbols: sun rising or high in sky

December 22 Jesus is King of the Gentiles: Isaiah 9:6 ; Psalm 2:7-8 ; Ephesians 2:14-20 Symbols: crown, scepter, sign of peace

December 23 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22 Symbols: tablets of stone, chalice and host

December 24 Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:9-14; 8:12 Symbols: candle/ flame/ sun, world, people

This Activity is Modified from: Walter, Betsy. Jesse Tree Kit, Pauline Books and Media, MA, 1983. (As referenced on Catholic Culture) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=545.