Jesse Tree Day 3 The Fall

Ornament - Fruit (apple) and Serpent

Materials - Inexpensive wooden shape from Hobby Lobby, paint and red glitter, hot glue, green pipe cleaner, drill to make hole, twine.

Reading Genesis 3:1-24

(29th Sunday After Pentecost, Third Antiphon)

By the tree of knowledge was Adam forced to depart from paradise; and by the tree of the Cross was 

the thief made to dwell in paradise. For the one by tasting broke the commandment of the Creator; 

while the other, crucified with Him, confessed the hidden God, crying out: Remember me in Thy 

kingdom! 

(2nd Sunday After Pentecost., Third Antiphon)

Through food did the enemy lead Adam forth from paradise; but by the Cross hath Christ led back to it 

the thief who cried: Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom! 

The fruit which slew me was beautiful and good to eat; but Christ is the Tree of life, and eating of Him 

I do not die, but cry out with the thief: Remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom! 

O Compassionate One, Who wast lifted up upon the Cross, Thou hast erased the record of Adam’s 

ancient sin, and hast saved the whole human race from deception. Wherefore, we hymn Thee, O Lord 

and Benefactor.

Thou didst nail our sins to the Cross, O compassionate Christ, and by Thy death Thou didst slay death, 

O Thou Who didst raise up the dead from among the dead. Wherefore, we worship Thy holy 

resurrection.

(Sunday of the Last Judgement, Third Antiphon)

The serpent once poured its venom into the ears of Eve; but on the tree of the Cross Christ poured forth 

the sweetness of life upon the world. Wherefore we cry out: Remember us, O Lord, in Thy kingdom! 

 (Beatitude Verse 8 from the Octoechos)

From paradise didst Thou drive our forefather Adam, who had broken thy commandment, O Christ; 

but, O Compassionate One, Thou didst cause to dwell therein the thief who confessed Thee on the 

cross, crying out: “Remember me, O Saviour, in Thy Kingdom!”

(Third Antiphon, 17th Sunday after Pentecost)

Hearken, O Adam, and rejoice with Eve; for he who of old stripped you both naked, and by deception 

hath taken all of us captive, hath been set at naught by the Cross of Christ. 

(Vespers, Exaltation of the Cross)

Come, all ye nations, let us worship the blessed Tree whereby everlasting righteousness hath come to be; for he who by the tree deceived our forefather Adam is himself deceived by the Cross, and he who 

by tyranny didst hold fast the royal house doth fall, cast down by a strange fall. By the Blood of God 

the venom of the serpent is washed away, and the curse of the just condemnation was lifted by the 

Righteous One when He was condemned by an unjust sentence; for it was fitting that the tree be healed 

by a Tree, and that, by the sufferings of the Dispassionate One on the Tree, the sufferings of the 

condemned be loosed. Glory, O Christ our King, to Thy wise dispensation toward us, whereby Thou 

hast saved all, in that Thou art good, and lovest mankind. 

 (Entry of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos into the Temple)

From her, (Eve) from whom transgressions went forth among the human race, hath her correction and 

incorruption blossomed forth, the Theotokos, who is led today into the house of God.

-St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures: Lecture 2 no. 7)

Adam, God's first-formed man, transgressed: could He [God] not at once have brought death upon 

him? But see what the Lord does, in His great love towards man. He casts him out from Paradise, for 

because of sin he was unworthy to live there; but He puts him to dwell over against Paradise: that 

seeing whence he had fallen, and from what and into what a state he was brought down, he might 

afterwards be saved by repentance. 

From the Prologue from Ohrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich, December 8

Cursed is the ground in thy works (Genesis 3:17).

After Adam and Eve's sin, God pronounced a punishment. He did not pronounce the punishment 

immediately but after waiting a period of time for their repentance. This is shown in the conversation 

into which God entered with Adam after his sin. Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9), God asked Adam. And 

when Adam said that he hid because of his nakedness, God asked him again: Who told thee that thou 

wast naked? (Genesis 3:11). Instead of repenting, Adam then began to accuse his wife. After that, God 

pronounced the punishment. Upon the serpent, which served as the weapon of the devil, fell the infinite 

curse. The woman was condemned to bear children in pain and to have her will subject to the authority 

of her husband. This is not a curse but rather a punishment with hope. Man was condemned to work the 

land. But what do the words, Cursed is the ground in thy works, mean? Did God curse the ground as He 

cursed the serpent with an infinite curse? By no means! The ground is cursed only in the sinful works 

of man. Because of man's sin, the earth produces thorns; because of sin, there is infertility; because of 

sin, there are droughts, floods, earthquakes, plagues, and destructive insects such as grasshoppers and 

caterpillars. That the ground is not cursed in its entirety is clear from this: that the earth also produces 

good fruits. God, through the prayers of the righteous, has always blessed the fruits of the earth 

necessary for human life, and even the angels of God, as the guests of Abraham, tasted the earth's 

harvest (Genesis 18:1-8). For in what way is the earth and all the rest of God's creation (except the 

serpent) culpable for Adam's sin? Nevertheless, the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain 

together until now (Romans 8:22). All creation does not groan or travail because of a curse upon itself 

but rather because of man's sinful works, which are cursed. O my brethren, let us be ashamed of our 

sin, for which even God's innocent creation suffers.

Jesse Tree Day 2 Creation of Man

Ornament:  Two People - Adam and Eve

Materials:   Inexpensive wooden figures from Hobby Lobby, flesh colored paint, brown ink pen, pink marker, gold tassel, leaves from artificial greenery.

Reading - Genesis 2: 4-25

 (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures: Lecture 12 no. 5)

The sun was formed by a mere command, but man by God's hands: 'Let us make man after our image, 

and after our likeness' (Gen. 1:26). A wooden image of an earthly king is held in honor; how much 

more a rational image of God?

Nativity of the Theotokos, Kontakion, (Tone 4) 

By Your Nativity, O Most Pure Virgin, 

Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness; 

Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death. 

And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you: 

The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life! 

The tree of life which was planted by God in Paradise pre-figured this precious Cross.

St. John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 

Adam, before the fall...participated in..divine illumination and resplendence, and because he was truly 

clothed in a garment of glory he was not naked, nor was he unseemly by reason of his nakednness. He 

was far more richly adorned than those who now deck themselves out with diadems of gold and 

brightly sparkling jewels. St. Paul calls this divine illumination and grace our celestial dwelling when 

he says, 'For this we sigh, yearning to be clothed in our heavenly habitation, since clothed we will not 

be found naked' (2 Cor. 5:2).

 St. Gregory Palamas 

So great was the honor and providential care which God bestowed upon man that He brought the entire 

sensible world into being before him and for his sake. The kingdom of heaven was prepared for him 

from the foundation of the world (cf. Matt. 25:34); God first took counsel concerning him, and then he 

was fashioned by God's hand and according to the image of God (cf. Gen. 1:26-27). God did not form 

the whole man from matter and from the elements of this sensible world, as He did the other animals. 

He formed only man's body from these materials; but man's soul He took from things super celestial or, 

rather, it came from God Himself when mysteriously He breathed life into man (cf. Gen. 2:7). 

Of all visible and invisible creation man alone is created dual. He has a body composed of four 

elements, the senses and breath; and he has a soul, invisible, unsubstantial, incorporeal joined to the 

body in an ineffable and unknown manner; they interpenetrate and yet are not compounded, combine 

and yet do not coalesce. This is what man is: an animal both mortal and immortal, both visible and 

invisible, both sensory and intellectual, capable of seeing the visible and knowing the invisible creation. 

St. Simeon the New Theologian 

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not 

only in this world, but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under His feet (Ephesians 

1:21-22).

Behold, the heights to which God exalts the being of man! Here, Christ's Divine Nature is not the 

subject, but rather His human nature. This is not about the eternal Word of God, but rather about the 

man Jesus, whom God raised from the dead and exalted-not only above this whole visible and mortal 

world, but also above the invisible and immortal, far above all the orders of angels and the heavenly 

powers; far above all the known and unknown wondrous hierarchies of heaven; far above every created 

being, known and unknown; and far above every name in the material and the spiritual worlds. My 

brethren, do you see how our All-glorious Creator fulfilled the promise He gave to Adam when he 

banished him from Paradise, and repeated more clearly to Abraham, and repeated still more clearly 

through the prophets and David? Do you see how the Lord of Sabaoth began to glorify the human race 

by glorifying the man Jesus, the Son of God, in Whom was incarnate the divinity of God? As the first 

in glory, God first glorified Him, and then, in order, all those who are numbered with Him, and who by 

the grace of the Holy Spirit are named and written in the Book of Life for eternal glory. It is not without 

cause that the Church sings to the Mother of God: ``More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond 

compare more glorious than the Seraphim.'' Where the Risen Lord is exalted, His Most-holy Mother is 

also exalted, as are also His holy apostles, in accordance with His words to His heavenly Father: 

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am (John 17:24).

Jesse Tree Day 1 Creation of the Universe

Ornament: Globe
Materials:   Inexpensive wooden shape (pre-painted) from Hobby Lobby, an electric drill to drill hole, twine, blue felt for the back, hot glue gun to attach the felt.
(The wooden items from Hobby Lobby had really sticky price tags on them that I was unable to remove completely, so the felt covered up the stickiness.  I bought a bag of colored felt from the dollar store.)

Creation Video for the Kiddo

Reading - Genesis 1-2:4

(St. Basil the Great, From nine homilies "On The Hexaemeron")
" Hexaemeron" means "the six days of Creation".  

If the the world has a beginning, and if it has been created, enquire who gave it this beginning, and who

was the Creator: or rather, in the fear that human reasonings may make you wander from the truth,
Moses has anticipated enquiry by engraving in our hearts, as a seal and a safeguard, the awful name of
God: 'In the beginning God created' - It is He, beneficent Nature, Goodness without measure, a worthy
object of love for all beings endowed with reason, the beauty the most to be desired, the origin of all
that exists, the source of life, intellectual light, impenetrable wisdom, it is He who 'in the beginning
created heaven and earth.'

The Royal Hours of the Nativity:
Hearken, O heaven, and give ear, O earth. Let the foundations be shaken, and let trembling lay hold 
upon the nethermost parts of the world. For our God and Creator has clothed Himself in created flesh, 
and He who with His strong arm fashioned the creation reveals Himself in the womb of her that He 
formed. O the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His 
judgments, and His ways past finding out!

Nativity of the Theotokos, Forefeast, Troparion (Tone 4) 
Today from the stem of Jesse and from the loins of David, 
The handmaid of God Mary is being born for us. 
Therefore all creation is renewed and rejoices! 
Heaven and earth rejoice together. 
Praise her, you families of nations, 
For Joachim rejoices and Anna celebrates crying out: 
"The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, the Nourisher of our life!" 

Nativity of the Theotokos, Troparion, (Tone 4)
Your Nativity, O Virgin, 
Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! 
The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, 
Has shone from You, O Theotokos! 
By annulling the curse, 
He bestowed a blessing. 
By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life. 

(Vespers, Psalm 103(4):19-24)
The sun knoweth his going down. Thou appointedst the darkness, and there was the night. How 
magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.                                   

From the Prologue from Ohrid, by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich, December 1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
Brethren, this is God's answer through the mouth of the prophet, the answer to the question that 
we all thirst to know: ``Whence comes this world?'' God hears our question, spoken or unspoken; He 
hears and gives an answer. Just as He gives rain to the dry earth, just as He gives health to a sick 
person, just as He gives bread and clothing to the body, so also does He give an answer to our spirit. He 
gives an answer to the question that has caused it hunger and thirst, pain and nakedness, until it (the 
spirit) is nourished and quenched, restored to health, and is clothed with the true answer. This is the 
question: ``Whence, therefore, comes this world?'' This is the answer: In the beginning God created the 
heaven and the earth. This world is not of itself, just as nothing in this world is of itself, neither is this 
world of an evil power, neither is this world of many creators, good and evil, but rather it is of the one 
gracious God. This answer evokes joy in the heart of every man and incites him to good works. And by 
this we know, among other things, that this is the only correct and true answer. Every other answer, in 
contradiction to this, evokes sorrow and fear in us and incites us to evil works, and therefore we know, 
among other things, that such answers are false. Brethren, the world is from God-let us rejoice and be 
glad! The world is of divine origin, and consequently its end will also be in God. The world is of a 
good root, and consequently it will bring forth good fruit. It proceeded from the chamber of light, and it 
will end in light. When we know that the beginning is good, then we know that it tends toward good 
and that the end will be good. Behold, in these words about the beginning, the prophecy about the end 
is already hidden. As was the beginning, so also will be the end. He from Whom the beginning came, in 
Him also is the end. Therefore, let us hold fast to this saving truth, that we may have shining hope and 
be strengthened in love toward the One Who, out of love, created us.
O my brethren, the two greatest works of God that have been revealed up to now are the 
creation of the world and the creation of the Church. In both works, brethren, man is the main object of 
God's love. Let us be thankful with our every breath to the Most-gracious God.

O Lord God, our Almighty Creator, One God, One Creator, the good Source of goodness, Thee do we worship, to Thee do we pray; direct us to the good end by Thy Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen. 

The Jesse Tree - introduction

The icon above is from the Orthodox tradition of the Tree of Jesse - it traces the lineage of Christ.

 "Genealogical tree of Christ and the Virgin. Jesse the Righteous is reclining at the base and from his body springs a trunk with branches corresponding to the patriarchs. Two angels crown the Virgin. Prophet-kings wear royal robes, crown and sceptre, ordinary prophets a simple mitre."          (17th c., Athos Protaton).

And

 there shall 

come forth a

 rod out of the stem of Jesse,

 and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, 

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

 the spirit of counsel and might, 

the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 

and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: 

and he shall not judge 

after the sight of his eyes, 

neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, 

and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: 

and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, 

and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And 

righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, 

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; 

and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;

 and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; 

their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand 

on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth 

shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there 

shall be 

a root of Jesse,

 which shall stand

 for an ensign

 of the people;

 to it shall

 the Gentiles seek:

 and his rest 

shall be glorious.

Nativity Great Vespers

Isaiah (11:1-10)

In November, 2013 we started a new tradition in our family.  Every day of the Nativity fast, from November 15 to December 24 and on through the 12 days of Christmas, we placed a symbolic ornament on a special tree.  This helped us trace the lineage of Christ through the Old Testament, to the story of His birth in the New Testament. Instead of calling it a Christmas tree, it's referred to as  The Jesse Tree.

Pictures of our ornaments and the corresponding text for each day can be found here in this blog.
I needed ideas for a total of 52 ornaments. Forty for each day of the Nativity fast and an additional 12 for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 through January 6 -The Feast of Theophany.)

I hope this will be a helpful resource for others.  It was certainly challenging to come up with 52 separate ornament ideas and designs that would either be easy to find and inexpensive to purchase or simple and inexpensive to make.  What follows is simply what I was able to put together with a limited budget, limited materials, limited time, and limited artistic ability.  The readings are pieced together from Scripture, the Prologue of Ohrid, Homilies of Church Fathers, and ancient Hymns.

We wish you a blessed journey through the Nativity fast and a joyous twelve days  of Christmas.

Christ is Born!

Glorify Him!