ADVENT
Hope Love Joy Peace
Advent is the Season that includes four Sundays preceding
Christmas. The Advent Season marks the beginning of the Liturgical
Calendar. It always begins in late November or early December. On
November 30th or on the Sunday that is the closest to this date, the
Catholic Church begins the Liturgical Season of Advent. Advent
ends on December 24th before the evening prayer of Christmas.
The word “advent” is derived from the Latin word “adventus,”
which means “coming” or “arrival.” During this time the faithful are
admonished to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord Jesus
in three ways:
(1) First, to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord as the Judge,
either at death or at the end of this world, whichever may come first.
(2) Secondly, to prepare themselves to receive the Real Presence of our
Redeemer at Christmas through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
(3) Thirdly, to prepare themselves for the coming of Christmas, the
birthday anniversary of the Lord’s coming into this world as God
incarnate
Galatians 4:4-8 says:
But when the right time come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to
the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so
that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his
children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to
call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.
And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Paul, the writer of
Galatians, articulates so perfectly the great hope we celebrate at Christmas!
Without God’s intervention, we were all slaves...bound up by our sin nature
and hopelessly headed to the grave. Because of God’s great love for us, He
came down and rescued humanity by sending his Son as a sacrifice for our
sin-so we could be free from the chains of sin and become fully part of God’s
glorious eternal family.
On this first Sunday of Advent, as we prepare our hearts to
celebrate Jesus’ arrival as a gift to all humanity, let’s stir up in
our hearts and homes a sense of anticipation. Over this Advent,
we pray that hope would rise up in our spirits in a tangible and
life-giving way. The tradition for the first Sunday of Advent
includes lighting the candle of hope. This candle of hope
symbolizes promises delivered through the prophets from God as
well as the hope we have in Christ. God crafted a great rescue
plan that he lays out in Scripture. This plan foretells years in
advance the arrival of Christ. The Bible also gives us a glimpse of
the future and promises that God will come down to create a
new heaven and Earth.
This first Sunday of Advent we read, pray, and reflect on the hope God’s plan
gives us (foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and death of Christ),
and we meditate on the promise of Christ’s coming glory-filled return.
Preparation (or waiting or
prophecy)
The second Sunday of Advent in 2022 will be Sunday, December
4th. After a chaotic year, there is comfort to be found when we
pause to read, pray, and reflect over the course of the Advent
season....a time when believers eagerly anticipate the
celebration of Christ’s birth. The second Sunday of Advent gives
us the opportunity to prepare our hearts in faithful waiting,
celebrate the birth of Jesus, and ready ourselves for his second
coming. It’s a beautiful chance to reflect on the ways prophecy
has been fulfilled and to ponder what the future (promised to us
through prophecies) will bring.
Psalm 46:10-11 says:
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be
exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress.”
The Advent season is a four week period before Christmas that celebrates the
anticipation and coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Not only is the Christian
meaning for preparation and celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ, his
birth at Christmas, but also to celebrate the new life when someone accepts
Jesus Christ as their Savior, and lastly, the anticipation of Jesus returning
again.
There are beautiful and rich traditions behind the celebration of Advent. Let’s
take a deeper look at the focus and themes of each week of Advent and some
of the traditions celebrated around the world during the Advent season. May
you find time to slow down this Christmas season, say “no” to the things that
distract you from Jesus and say “yes” to the gift that God wants you to
B. THE HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF
ADVENT
No one really knows when Advent first began. However, in the
late 400s, St. Gregory of Tours wrote in the History of the Franks
that St. Perpetuus decreed a three-week fast from the time of
the feast of St. Martin until Christmas. Whether this was a new
custom being instated or an existing observance being enforced.
In 567 at the second Council of Yours, monks began to practice
fasting on the first of December through Christmas day.
While many Greek Orthodox and Eastern Catholics still observe a
40 day fast, that begins November 15th, Western Christianity,
specifically the Roman Catholic Church, began to observe the
season of Advent from the fourth Sunday before Christmas
through Christmas Eve. Today, many Protestant sects of
Christianity have begun to incorporate Advent traditions into
their Sunday services. Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians,
Methodists, and other denominations have begun to observe the
traditional Advent customs.
C. THE FOUR WEEKS OF ADVENT
The four Sundays of Advent each have a specific theme or focus.
The purpose of each theme is to spend time reflecting on the
true meaning of the season – the life of Jesus Christ. The goal
should be to come before God with a sincere heart and to
worship Jesus Christ. To help the observation of these weeks,
many churches led their congregation through Advent Readings.
This tradition includes the reading of Scriptures that reflect the
theme of each week. Whether in a traditional church or at home
with your family, these Bible verses are a great way to reflect on
the promise of the Messiah both yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
1. First Sunday of Advent Week 1:
Hope (or promise)
The first Sunday of Advent in 2022 will be Sunday, November 27th.
After a tumultuous year, there is comfort to be found when we
pause to read, pray, and reflect over the course of the Advent
season in which believers eagerly anticipate the celebration of
Christ’s birth.
The first Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to center our
thoughts on hope.
It’s a beautiful chance to remember the hope God offers to our lost
and dying world, and that He’s given us through Jesus.
This week, we pause to remember who God is and what He has
done for us. When our lives are hurried, we only have the chance
to focus on our to-do lists. Making space in our schedules for
prayer and meditation helps us to better see God at work in our
lives and in our world.
As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ arrival as a gift to
all humanity, let’s stir up in our hearts and homes a sense of
anticipation. May God’s spirit transform the days leading up to
Christmas into a time of holy anticipation; preparing our hearts, as we
faithfully await the chance to celebrate the arrival of our king.
The tradition for the second Sunday of Advent includes lighting the
second purple candle that is a symbol of faith. This second Sunday of
Advent we read, pray, and reflect on the hope God’s plan gives us
(foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and death of Christ),
and we meditate on the promise of Christ’s coming glory-filled return.
3. Third Sunday of Advent Week 3:
Joy (or peace)
The third Sunday of Advent in 2022 will be on Sunday, December
11th. There is so much comfort to be found in the practice of
pausing to read, pray, and reflect over the course of the Advent
season in which believers eagerly anticipate the celebration of
Christ’s birth. The third Sunday of Advent gives us the
opportunity to prepare in our hearts a sense of holy anticipation
for the celebration of the birth of Jesus as well as for his
promised second coming. We can study the Scriptures as a
reminder of the ways God has been faithful to us through the
fulfillment of prophecy-and find hope in the promises of God that
are laid out in his Word.
The third Sunday of Advent we are invited to reflect on the joy
we have access to because of our faith in Jesus. One of the
defining characteristics of Christ-followers is their joyful
demeanor. Let’s not allow the struggles of this year steal from
the great joy we have because of Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-5 says
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
Over this Advent, would you pray that the joy of the Lord would
be evident in your heart and home? May God’s spirit transform
the days leading up to Christmas into a time of holy anticipation;
preparing our hearts, as we joyfully await the chance to
celebrate the arrival of our king.
The tradition for the third Sunday of Advent includes lighting a
third sometimes pink candle that is a symbol of joy. This third
Sunday of Advent we read, pray, and reflect on the joy that God’s
plan gives us (foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and
death of Christ), and we meditate on the promise of Christ’s
coming glory-filled return.
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete
Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for rejoice, and this Sunday is
the time for us to rejoice because Jesus came and died so that
we may live forever with him!
4. Fourth Sunday of Advent Week 4:
Love (or adoration)
The fourth and final Sunday of Advent in 2022 will be on Sunday,
December 18th. Advent is the season in which believers eagerly
anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth. Reading, prayer, and
reflection are ways we can cultivate a sense of holy anticipation
this Advent. The fourth Sunday of Advent we meditate on the
peace that Jesus brings our hearts and our world. Scripture is the
place we can find the promises of God. Let us meditate on these
truths and allow them to comfort our hearts this Advent season!
2 Thessalonians 3:16 says,
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times
and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”
This week we focus our hearts on the “Lord of peace” who came
down from heaven in the form of a baby. God knows that we are
in a constant battle against fear! Fear wants to cripple us, to
push us to react rather than carefully respond, and fear steals
our joy. God has given us the gift of peace so we can live joy-
filled lives!
Over this Advent, would you pray that God’s unexplainable peace
would be evident in your heart and home. This year we all have
faced so much chaos and uncertainty. God’s peace is something
we need to grab tightly onto more than ever. May God’s spirit
transform the days leading up to Christmas into a time to joyfully
await our King!.
This fourth Advent Sunday we are reminded that Jesus offers us
peace in every season and nothing is impossible with him!
The fourth candle of Advent is called the “Angel Candle” and
symbolizes peace. This name comes from the fact that the
angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace (Luke 2:14).
This week we are reminded that Jesus came to bring peace to
our hearts and to our world!
D. ADVENT WREATH AND CANDLES
The Advent wreath first appeared in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran
minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of
the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four
large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on
weekdays and the four white candles were lit on Sundays.
Eventually, the Advent wreath was created out of evergreens,
symbolizing everlasting life in the midst of winter and death as the
evergreen is continuously green. The circle reminds us of God’s
unending love and the eternal life He makes possible.
Advent candles shine brightly in the midst of darkness,
symbolizing and reminding us that Jesus came as Light into our
dark world. The candles are often set in a circular Advent wreath.
In Scandinavia, Lutheran churches light a candle each day of
December; by Christmas, they have twenty-four candles burning.
Another Advent candle option is a single candle with twenty-four
marks on the side—the candle is lit each day and allowed to melt
down to the next day’s mark.
The most common Advent candle tradition, however, involves
four candles around the wreath. A new candle is lit on each of
the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents
something different, although traditions vary. Often, the first,
second, and fourth candles are purple; the third candle is rose-
colored. Sometimes all the candles are red; in other traditions,
all four candles are blue or white. Occasionally, a fifth white
candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and is lit on
Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus' birth.
The advent candles correspond to the themes of each week of
advent. Families and church congregations begin lighting a
candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and they light
another candle each subsequent Sunday.
The first candle symbolizes hope and is called the “Prophet’s
Candle.” The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah,
waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival.
The second candle represents faith and is called “Bethlehem’s
Candle.” Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in
Bethlehem, which is also the birthplace of King David.
The third candle symbolizes joy and is called the “Shepherd’s
Candle.” To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that
Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. In
liturgy, the color rose signifies joy.
The fourth candle represents peace and is called the “Angel’s
Candle.” The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace
—He came to bring people close to God and to each other again.
The (optional) fifth candle represents light and purity and is
called “Christ’s candle.” It is placed in the middle and is lit on
Christmas Day.