The Jesse Tree: A Devotional Journey Through Advent

THE JESSE TREE: HISTORY, SYMBOLISM, AND THE DEVOTIONAL HEART OF ADVENT

The prophetic root of the devotion
The Jesse Tree begins with the prophecy of Isaiah: “A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”¹ In this luminous image, Israel learned to expect a Messiah emerging from the lineage of David, son of Jesse. The Church has always read this prophecy Christologically. Medieval theologians such as St Bernard of Clairvaux and Hugh of St Victor saw in the “shoot” an image of Christ and in the “root” the long preparation of salvation history.²

From manuscript illumination to cathedral theology
The earliest Jesse Trees appeared around the 11th century in illuminated manuscripts such as the Vita Jesse, and by the 12th century the motif had taken architectural form in the great cathedrals of Europe.³ Chartres Cathedral’s famous Jesse Tree window (c. 1145) remains one of the most complete visual genealogies of Christ. There Jesse reclines at the bottom, and from his side springs a great vine bearing kings, prophets, and patriarchs, culminating in Our Lady with the Christ Child. These works served as theological instruction for societies where few could read. The Jesse Tree became a visual catechism, embedding salvation history into sacred architecture.

A wooden Jesse Tree with symbolic ornaments and a candle arrangement, set against a colorful stained glass window in a dimly lit church.

Transformation into a devotional practice
The Jesse Tree as a domestic devotion arose in the 20th century, especially in Catholic and Lutheran catechetical movements that sought to reconnect families with Scripture.⁴ Instead of focusing solely on Christ’s biological genealogy, the modern Jesse Tree traces the entire arc of salvation—from Creation to the coming of Christ. Each day in Advent, a Scripture reading is paired with a symbolic ornament. These include the apple for Adam and Eve, the rainbow or ark for Noah, the ladder for Jacob, the tablets for Moses, the crown for David, the lily for the Annunciation, and the manger or Chi-Rho for Christmas Eve.

This approach restores the ancient sense that Advent is the season of the patriarchs and prophets. It allows families to experience the developing drama of redemption as the Church once did through her liturgy and art.

A school of expectation, memory, and hope
The Jesse Tree has flourished because it meets deep spiritual needs often neglected in modern Advent observance.

Expectation
The daily unfolding of salvation history revives the longing for Christ’s coming. Rather than rushing toward Christmas, the Jesse Tree slows the heart into the Church’s patient watchfulness.

Memory
In an age of fading biblical literacy, the Jesse Tree restores continuity between Old and New Testaments. It re-establishes the narrative spine of the faith, revealing Christ as the fulfilment of centuries of covenant promise.⁵

Hope
The very image of a shoot from a dead stump proclaims renewal. From barren branches—exile, wandering, disobedience—God brings forth the Messiah. Every ornament becomes a proclamation that God is faithful even when His people forget Him.

The Jesse Tree in contemporary Catholic life
Today the Jesse Tree is used in families, missions, schools, and monasteries. In parishes with the Traditional Roman Rite, it harmonises naturally with the season’s focus on the patriarchs and prophets as reflected in the Ember Days, Rorate Masses, and the ancient O Antiphons. In modern Catholic schools it serves as an antidote to secularised “holiday” themes, grounding children in the biblical story with tangible, memorable symbols. And in homes, it restores the Advent ethos of quiet preparation for the coming of Christ—rather than the consumer anticipation of December.

It thus revives the medieval instinct to make theology visible and incarnational: a scriptural tree whose fruit is contemplation of the mystery of Emmanuel.

The Jesse Tree’s enduring gift
At its core, the Jesse Tree is a reminder that Christianity is not an abstract philosophy but a lived history, a story of a God who enters time, generation by generation, until “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” By stitching together prophets, kings, patriarchs, and sinners, the Jesse Tree teaches that the Incarnation is the flowering of a plan that began at the dawn of creation and continues in every believer who grafts his life onto the True Vine.

Daily Meditations on Old Roman TV

How to Create a Jesse Tree: Practical Advice for Home, Parish, or School

Choose the form of your Jesse Tree

You do not need a full tree. The devotion works with anything that can hold daily ornaments. Though your usual Christmas tree would lend itself suitably, and changing its decorations on Christmas eve would provide another catechetical opportunity.

Simple options:

A bundle of bare branches placed in a vase (traditional and symbolic).
A small tabletop tree made of wood or wire.
A felt or fabric wall-hanging with pockets or velcro spots.
A poster or board with places to attach symbols.
An actual small Christmas tree used only for Jesse Tree ornaments until Christmas Eve.

The beauty is in the symbols, not the size.

Prepare the daily ornaments

You need symbol ornaments—usually 24, one for each day of Advent.
These represent key events, figures, or promises in salvation history.

Common materials:

Wood slices
Cardboard circles
Felt
Paper
Clay
Simple printed images laminated
Children’s drawings
Embroidery, painted stones, etc.

Each ornament should have:

A clear symbol (apple, rainbow, ladder, crown, lily, etc.)
A small hole and string to hang it.

You may prepare them all at once or add one each day.
Allowing children (or adults) to craft them becomes part of the devotion.

A family of four, including two adults and two children, is gathered around a table working on Jesse Tree ornaments, with colorful markers and illustrated circular ornaments displayed.

Select your Scripture readings

A typical Jesse Tree uses one reading per day, tracing salvation history.

A standard sequence might include:

1. Root of Jesse
Symbol: A tree stump with a single shoot
Reading: Isaiah 11:1-2
Theme: From the root of Jesse the Messiah would come.

2. Creation
Symbol: Globe or sunburst
Reading: Genesis 1:1–5
Theme: God creates light; Christ the true Light.

3. Adam and Eve – the Fall
Symbol: Apple with serpent
Reading: Genesis 3:1–7, 14–15
Theme: Promise of the Redeemer (Protoevangelium).

4. Noah
Symbol: Ark or rainbow
Reading: Genesis 6:5–18
Theme: Salvation through water, type of Baptism.

5. The Promised Land
Symbol: Tent or Camel
Reading: Genesis 12:1-7
Theme: God’s covenant with Abraham

6. Abraham – Father of Faith
Symbol: Stars in the sky
Reading: Genesis 15:1–6
Theme: God’s covenant and the chosen people.

7. Joseph of Egypt
Symbol: Coat of many colours
Reading: Genesis 37:1–36
Theme: The rejected brother raised to save his people—type of Christ.

8. The Ten Commandments
Symbol: Stone tablets
Reading: Deuteronomy 5:1-22
Theme: God’s law preparing for divine grace.

9. Rahab
Symbol: Red Rope
Scripture: Joshua 2:1-21
Theme: Protection, deliverance and faith

10. Ruth & Boaz
Symbol: Grain
Scripture: Ruth 2:1–4:12
Theme: Loyalty and God’s providential care

11. David
Symbol: Crown
Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1–13
Theme: The royal line from which the Messiah will come.

12. Shepherd King
Symbol: Sheep/Shepherd’s Crook
Scripture: 2 Samuel 5:1-5
Theme: David prefigures Christ as Shepherd King

13. Temple
Symbol: Temple or scales of wisdom
Reading: 1 Kings 5:5; 1 Kings 6
Theme: God will dwell with His people

14. Esther
Symbol: Scepter
Scripture: Esther 4
Theme: Foreshadowing Christ’s intercession

15. Isaiah – the Messianic Prophecy
Symbol: Sun
Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
Theme: The Virgin shall conceive; the Root of Jesse.

16. Wolf & Lamb
Symbol: Wolf & Lamb
Scripture: Isaiah 11:6-9
Theme: Promise of the gospel of Peace

17. Jonah
Symbol: Whale
Reading: Jonah 3:1-5
Theme: Three days in the fish—type of the Resurrection.

18. Bethlehem
Symbol: Bethlehem
Reading: Micah 5:1-5
Theme: The birthplace foretold

19. Daniel
Symbol: Lion
Reading: Daniel 6:10–23
Theme: God’s faithfulness in exile, foreshadowing Christ’s deliverance.

20. Zechariah and Elizabeth
Symbol: Praying hands
Reading: Luke 1:5–25, 57–66
Theme: The Forerunner’s birth.

21. St John the Baptist
Symbol: Baptism Shell
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-6
Theme: John the last of the Prophets

22. The Annunciation
Symbol: Lily
Reading: Luke 1:26-38
Theme: God chooses Mary.

23. St Joseph – Guardian of the Redeemer
Symbol: Carpenter’s tools
Reading: Matthew 1:18–25
Theme: Joseph’s obedience shelters the divine plan.

24. Mary and Joseph Go to Bethlehem
Scripture: Luke 2:1-5
Symbol: Sandals
Theme: The fulfilment of prophecy

25. The Birth of Christ (Christmas Eve or Christmas Day)
Symbol: Manger or Chi-Rho
Reading: Luke 2:1–14
Theme: The Word made flesh.

Other symbols and readings may be used by discretion:

Jacob’s Ladder
Symbol: Ladder
Reading: Genesis 28:10–17
Theme: The bridge between heaven and earth prefigures the Incarnation.

Moses – Deliverance from Egypt
Symbol: Burning bush
Reading: Exodus 3:1–10
Theme: God reveals His Name and calls a saviour.

Passover and the Lamb
Symbol: Lamb or blood-marked door
Reading: Exodus 12:1–14
Theme: Christ the true Lamb.

The Red Sea
Symbol: Waves
Reading: Exodus 14:21–31
Theme: Liberation from slavery—type of redemption.

Joshua
Symbol: Trumpet or walls of Jericho
Reading: Joshua 6:1–20
Theme: God establishes His people in the Promised Land.

Gideon
Symbol: Torch or fleece
Reading: Judges 6:11–24, 36–40
Theme: God saves through unlikely instruments.

Samuel – the Call of the Prophet
Symbol: Oil horn
Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1–10
Theme: God raises prophets to prepare Israel.

Elijah
Symbol: Fiery chariot
Reading: 1 Kings 18:36–39
Theme: The prophet who turns Israel back to God.

You may follow:

A traditional Catholic list
A parish list
A child-friendly simplified list
The ORA or a Ruthenian-style biblical sequence during Advent

Gallery of Symbols

Click on an image to enlarge – feel free to download and print or copy by hand!

A decorative illustration of a tree with a single white flower at the top, surrounded by green leaves and roots, set against a gold background with a circular border. — Reading: Isaiah 11:1-2
Theme: The Root of Jesse prophecy

01 Creation — Reading: Isaiah 11:1-2
Theme: The Root of Jesse prophecy

Establish the daily routine

For most families or small communities, the Jesse Tree works best:

After supper,
During night prayer, or
At the lighting of the Advent wreath.

The pattern each day:

Light the Advent wreath (optional but fitting).
Read the short Scripture passage.
Say a brief prayer (spontaneous, or something consistent like “Come, Lord Jesus”).
Hang the ornament on the Jesse Tree.

This takes 3–5 minutes and beautifully shapes Advent evenings.

Integrate prayer and reflection

You can use:

The O Antiphons (17–23 December)
A verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
A short collect from the Roman Missal
Simple intercessions (“For our family… for the Church…”)

The Jesse Tree is not merely educational—it is devotional.
Let it form expectation, memory, and hope.

Consider additional creative elements

These enrich the devotion but are optional:

For families:

Children take turns placing the ornament.
Let older children read the Scripture passage.
Invite everyone to say one thing they noticed.

For catechism classes:

A large wall-hanging Jesse Tree visible each week.
A colouring sheet for each ornament.
Integrate into Advent lessons on patriarchs and prophets.

For parishes and ORA missions:

Display a Jesse Tree on a side altar or devotional table.
Add ornaments after daily Mass.
Include readings in the bulletin or Nuntiatoria edition.

Complete the devotion on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

Traditionally you conclude with:

The manger
The Chi-Rho
The Infant Christ

Some place a final ornament only on Christmas Eve night; others wait until Christmas morning.
This moment symbolizes the fulfilment of all the promises traced through Advent.

Keep it beautiful, not burdensome

The Jesse Tree is not meant to be perfect.
It is meant to be lived.

A handful of branches in a jar and hand-drawn ornaments are just as powerful as embroidered ones.
The point is the daily encounter with Scripture and the building of a biblical imagination that leads to the Nativity.

A family engages in a Jesse Tree tradition, decorating a small bare tree with various symbolic ornaments while candles are lit on a table.

Footnotes

Liber Isaiae, Vulgate, Is 11:1.
Hugh of St Victor, De Sacramentis Christianae Fidei, II.2; St Bernard, Homiliae super Missus Est, esp. Hom. II.
Richard Marks, Stained Glass in England during the Middle Ages, Routledge, 1993, pp. 56–61.
National Catholic Rural Life Conference and Lutheran educational programmes in the 1950s helped popularise the domestic Jesse Tree practice. See J. F. White, Introduction to Christian Worship, Abingdon, 2000, p. 84.
Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI), Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, 2012.

Latest articles

Today’s Mass: December 19th Ember Friday in Advent
The Ember Saturday in Advent emphasizes fasting and preparation for the arrival of the Lord, culminating in a significant Mass with historical roots tied to St. Peter’s tomb. With ancient lessons from Isaiah and teachings on repentance through John the Baptist, the liturgy reflects themes of salvation, healing, and the anticipation of Christ’s coming.
03 O Antiphons: O Radix Jesse
The third Great “O” Antiphon emphasizes the paradox of the Messiah, who emerges from the seemingly extinguished lineage of David, represented as a stump. This highlights God’s promise, affirming that Christ, the Root of Jesse, embodies eternal kingship through humility. The Church pleads for His arrival amidst enduring sin and suffering.
21.12.25 Nuntiatoria LXXXV: Veni Emmanuel
Advent, framed by Rorate caeli, gives this edition its governing logic: salvation and justice descend from above but require an earth opened by fasting, restraint, and fidelity. Set within Gaudete Sunday and the Advent Embertide, the editorial connects the contemporary crises in law, conscience, universities, and the liturgy itself, arguing that where truth is replaced by narrative and worship by management, justice cannot arise. Renewal begins not with control, but with receptivity.
From the Primus 21.12.25
The edition of Nuntiatoria, during Advent, critiques ecclesial uncertainties and cultural disintegration. It examines episcopal governance and public morality, highlighting growing Christian marginalization and the displacement of true beliefs. Through worship, it emphasizes the need for fidelity rather than reinvention, seeking to strengthen hope amid societal confusion and faith challenges.
ORDO w/c 21.12.25 – 05.01.26
The document details the liturgical calendar from December 21 to January 5, covering significant feasts, including the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Christmas, and subsequent commemorations. It emphasizes themes of preparation, celebration, and reflection within the Advent season and highlights key figures like St. Thomas, St. Stephen, and St. John.