Archdiocese Of St. Louis

O come thou rod of Jesse’s stem … The Jesse Tree is a Catholic tradition for Advent. It’s especially suitable for children. But really, it’s a lesson for all of us. For thousands of years God was preparing his people for the coming of Christ. The Jesse Tree walks us back through some of the most significant events and people of that history – one ornament on the tree for each of them. Psalm 24 talks about Lifting up the Gates to let the King of Glory enter. That’s what God was doing though every person and event represented on the Jesse Tree – building up his people into a spiritual house, so that the gates of their hearts would be high enough to let Christ enter the world through them. When we walk through the history of those people and events by using the Jesse Tree we’re not only expanding our knowledge of the faith, we’re letting God lift up the Gates of our hearts – making more and more room for the mystery of Christ to enter into our lives. That’s what Advent is all about. In the coming days