Sunday, December 2, 2007
The Season of Advent Begins
Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. This year the season begins on Dec 2, the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). Advent is a time of expectation, symbolized by the four-week period of preparation leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. An Advent Candle is lit on each Sunday of the season. The flame of each new candle reminds us, the worshipers, that something is happening, and something more is still to come. When the candles from the previous weeks are relit, it's symbolic of the arrival of Christ bringing light into darkness.
The Advent Wreath has five candles. The candles are arranged in a circle to remind us of the continuous power of God, which knows neither beginning nor ending. There is also symbolism in the color of the candles; representing either people or themes of the Christmas story.
Three purple (sometimes blue) candles symbolize the coming of Christ from the royal line of David. He is coming as the King of Kings as well as the Prince of Peace. The traditional color of purple is also the liturgical color representing penance, like the season of Lent, reminding us of our need for repentance and the gift of forgiveness found in Christ Jesus. The more modern color of blue for three of the candles comes from the modern emphasis on hope. Blue is the liturgical color for hope. The first, second, and fourth candles are either purple or blue.
The Prophecy Candle is the first candle lit. It reminds us of the prophets who foretold Christ's birth, especially Isaiah. This candle is also called the "hope" candle.
The Bethlehem Candle, symbolic of the Christ Child's cradle, is second. This candle is also called the "love" candle.
The Shepherd's Candle is third. The third Sunday is referred to as Gaudette Sunday (Gaudette means "rejoice"). The pink or rose-colored candle is lit on this day. This pink candle typifies the act of sharing Christ. Pink symbolizes the Advent Rose, a time to pause in this season to rejoice in the Lord.
The Angel's Candle is fourth. It is the candle of love and final coming. This candle is also called the "peace" candle.
The Christ candle, colored white and sometimes larger than the rest, is placed in the center of the wreath. It's traditionally lit on Christmas Eve. The Christ candle points to Jesus as the Christ, the Light of the world.
Labels: Christianity, Christmas
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1 Comments:
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At December 6, 2007 8:22 PM,
Stephanie said...
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Thank you for posting this! I've actually never read such a concise, clear articulation of the Advent wreath, and I've wondered about the exact meaning of colors, etc.
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