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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" per the prophecy of Isaias
11:1:
And there shall
come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse [David's father], 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" (see stained glass image
below).
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.
The medieval German manuscript at right depicts only 6 elements in the Jesse
Tree: Jesse, two prophets with scrolls filled in with verses concerning Christ
and His Mother, two prophets with scrolls with no verses, and, toppping it
all off, the Virgin holding her Son.
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.).
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 hung on a small, literal tabletop-sized
tree, or on a branch brought in from outside. They can be hung on small
artificial trees made of wood or metals, or on two-dimensional wooden trees.
The symbolic ornaments -- which can vary from family to family -- can be
storebought or homemade -- for example, painted onto wooden rounds, 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,
etc. Gorgeous paintings and graphics could be scanned, printed out, and glued
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 makes 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, and with the Infant
Christ being held by Mary at the apex.
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