The Tree of Life

John said:
An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month--Rev 22

I am excited about a new Advent project for this year. I have drawn little pictures to add to golden stars I am going to place on my Advent Wreath. These pictures correspond to the Jesse Tree symbols. The first illustration is for a tree, and in my imagination I used the tree from the Oklahoma City Memorial as a pattern. But of course it didn't exactly look like that. Yesterday my friend showed me some pins and buttons she had fired embellished with designs of labyrinths. Her designs looked just like trees!  My dear granddaughter was reading a pop-up library book about Streganona in the car this afternoon. "Look, Grandma, a family tree!" The Jesse Tree is a walking prayer and it is a Family Tree. It  is a remembrance in story of the long walk of ancestors of Jesus Christ. The little paper stars we always place on our Advent Wreath each evening carry the names of friends and family and others we remember and for whom we pray. Jesse Tree, Advent Wreath. Family Tree, names of family and friends. Green leaves, green circle of eternity. Traveling through biblical history and family history. Trekking Catholic.