ADVENT SEASON
Advent is a season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant
waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.
The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,
arrival,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia is the 4-week period
preceding to Christmas. It is a time to ponder the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us
by coming in to earth to be born as a child. He lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial
death, and rose from the dead for us. He saved us from our sins and eternal damnation
because of his great love, and adopts each person individually into his family through
baptism and faith in him.
Traditionally, the Advent wreath symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent.
It is typically a circular candle holder that holds five candles. The wreath is made of a
circle of evergreen branches laid flat to symbolize eternal life.
During the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday until all of
the candles, including the fifth candle, are lit on Christmas Day. Each candle
customarily represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the celebration of the
birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Most Advent wreaths use three colors of candles –
purple, pink, and white.
The candles symbolizes hope, love, joy and peace
1st CANDLE – (purple) THE PROPHECY CANDLE or CANDLE OF HOPE
We can have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises made to us. Our
hope comes from God!
“And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule
over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’ May the God of hope fill you with all
joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:12-13
2nd CANDLE – (purple) THE BETHLEHEM CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF
PREPARATION,
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God kept his promise of a Savior who would be born in Bethlehem. Preparation
means to “get ready”. Help us to be ready to welcome you, O God!
“As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling
in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every
valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall
become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.‘
~ Luke 3:4-6
3rd CANDLE – (pink) THE SHEPHERD CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF JOY
The shepherds received a message of joy!
“…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed
him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were
shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An
angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good
news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior
has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ When the angels had
left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ~
Luke 2:7-15
4th CANDLE – (purple) THE ANGEL CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF LOVE
The angels announced the good news of a Savior!
“…I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the
town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” ~ Luke
2:10b-11
God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us!
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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” ~ John 3:16-17
5th CANDLE – (white) CHRIST CANDLE
The white candle reminds us that Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, sent to wash away
our sins. His birth was for his death, his death was for our birth!
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!‘” ~ John 1:29
Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts
2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to
consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the
end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the
coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their
behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for
God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks
back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in
eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people.
In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents
the church’s cry during the Advent season:
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming, the
church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation
of the second coming in the future.
While it is difficult to keep in mind in the midst of holiday celebrations, shopping,
lights and decorations, and joyful carols, Advent is intended to be a season of fasting,
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much like Lent, and there are a variety of ways that this time of mourning works itself
out in the season. Reflection on the violence and evil in the world cause us to cry out
to God to make things right—to put death’s dark shadows to flight. Our exile in the
present makes us look forward to our future Exodus. And our own sinfulness and need
for grace leads us to pray for the Holy Spirit to renew his work in conforming us into
the image of Christ.
CCC describes Advent as: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each
year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the
long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for
his second coming. By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church
unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’”
