Relating the decorating of our Christmas Tree with the Scriptures and the call to be charitable.
The Jesse tree helps us connect the custom of decorating the Christmas Tree to the events leading to Jesus’ birth at Christmas. The Jesse Tree is named from the Prophet Isaiah 11:1 “A shoot shall grow out of the stock of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots”. Jesse was the father of King David and through the lineage of St Joseph, Jesus fulfils that prophecy of Isaiah.
We adorn the Jesse Tree with illustrated ornaments that represent the people, prophesies and events leading up to Jesus’ birth and tell the story of God in the Old Testament. When someone removes an ornament, they leave a gift for the homeless and those who struggle with the financial burden that is especially difficult at this time of year.
The gifts will go to the SVDP Special Works Conference—“Our Lady of the Wayside”—that reaches out to homeless people and those who are struggling materially.
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