Archdiocese Of St. Louis

It’s already the second week of advent. Now is the time when Christmas preparations kick into high gear… and no, I’m not just talking about getting your shopping done. Today’s biblical figure and symbol, the Israelites and a sheep, offer what I think are one of the more profound points for reflection of any figure & symbol on the Jesse Tree. The Israelites and sheep, of course, immediately call to mind the Passover story. In Exodus we read that God instructed Moses to tell the “whole community of Israel” to procure a lamb, slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the door frames of their houses. “But for you the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thereby, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you” says the Lord in Exodus 12:13. We often recall this event around Good Friday & Easter, so why remember it now? Though Advent is a time of quiet, even somber, preparation, sometimes called a “poor man’s Lent,” we are accustomed to this