When I arrived at Mass last Sunday, I was delighted to see a small leafless tree stump beside the altar - a Jesse tree! It reminded me of my childhood parish where every Advent, we would slowly tell the story of Jesus' ancestry by decorating and bringing to life a
bare thin-looking tree.
The tree looks lifeless at the beginning, devoid of any colour or charm. It reminds me of how my spiritual life can sometimes feel: dry and dead. We have come to the end of a draining and stressful year. Students are busy struggling through exams, parents wonder how they
will afford the holiday season, grandparents are anxious about bringing their quarrelling family members together, and priests and parish counsels are stressing about the Christmas liturgies. Sometimes all this worrying takes its toll, and life becomes a monotonous routine of simply "getting things done."
In this state, it can be difficult to pray. We may kneel before Mass; all we can think of are our problems. We pray for consolation and find only emptiness and anxiety.
But then comes this promise from God - a shoot
from the stump of Jesse. Life. Newness. Freshness. The Spirit of God. Rest.
Jesus comes into our lives like the green shoots on dry branches in springtime. He brings colour back into our lives like the decorations on a Jesse tree.
Take some time today and allow the image of a fresh green shoot from a dry branch to speak to your heart. What promise does the Lord make in your life today and during this Advent?
