"Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ’s first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation.” (“The Liturgical Year,” Congregation for Divine Worship)
On the first day of December, my children and I start to practice the tradition of the Jesse Tree.
We download Jesse Tree ornament coloring pages, read the Scripture verse for the day, then color the day’s ornament... all the way to December 24.
Each Jesse Tree ornament and its accompanying verse is meant to help us grow closer to Christ and our understanding of significant Biblical events leading to Jesus’s birth.
After using the same illustrations for the past few years, though, I decided to draw new Jesse Tree ornaments for Advent 2014.
Each ornament is the size of a CD and has a reference to a related Bible verse beside it.
(I didn’t write down the Scripture reading itself, for I didn’t want to lose the appeal of reading from a worn, beloved Bible.)
The new Jesse Tree printable ornaments PDF is available right now for the same price of a latte.
Here’s a peek at two pages from my new printable Jesse Tree ornaments PDF.
Quick Tips for Using Your Jesse Tree Ornaments
- Print out your Jesse Tree drawings ahead of time.
- Inexpensive display areas for your ornaments can include a branch from your backyard, a construction-paper Christmas tree taped to the wall, a paper tree outline on your refrigerator door, an unadorned Christmas tree, and a Christmas wreath.
- Spend a little cash if you can and get a set of magnetic tape to use the Jesse Tree ornaments on your fridge door or dry-erase board.
- Our family’s go-to cheap “lamination” is packing tape.
- Don’t stress out over missing a day. Either make up for it the next day or skip it.
- Remember that the Jesse Tree ornament coloring time is to be prayerful but fun.
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