Duc in Altum

In our family, we always enjoy adding new traditions to our celebrations of the liturgical seasons.  And this year, we have been introduced to one for Lent that will be sure to be part of our Lenten seasons for years to come.

The new tradition is the Jesus Tree.  It is similar to the Jesse Tree of Advent.  The idea is to mark the days of Lent with passages of Scripture and a tangible symbol from the life of Christ beginning with His presentation in the Temple through His Passion and Resurrection.  It is a great way to reflect on our Lord's life, suffering, death, and resurrection during our Lenten journey.

For each day there is a passage of Scripture and a symbol which represents the Gospel account.  For instance, for the Presentation, the symbol might be the two doves which St. Joseph brought to the Temple in order to fulfill the Law.  And for the Gospel account of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the symbol is a sheep.  As you move through Lent, you add the symbols to the tree, and the bare tree becomes filled with the life of Jesus.

We ordered one Jesus Tree online, and in upcoming post, I will provide a review of that Jesus Tree.

However, before that arrived, we made our own felt and flannel version based on a kit which you can order online.


And here is a sample of some of the symbols:


If you are interested in making your own, I put together a downloadable Jesus Tree Guide which includes a list of materials you will need, instructions on how we made ours, pictures of all the symbols, and the daily readings from both Scripture and a popular picture children's Bible--the New Catholic Picture Bible. 

The Jesus Tree Guide can be purchased from Etsy or Teacher's Pay Teachers.  Whether you purchase a Jesus Tree or make your own, perhaps you will add this tradition to your family's Lenten journey.

Labels: eBook