With the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season already buzzing in stores and on our televisions, I invite you to sit back, breathe, and soak in the beauty of Advent. The Advent Wreath is a simple, liturgical reminder to us during the Advent season, a season of preparation and waiting for the coming of the Christ-Child.
Four royal blue or purple candles remind us of the royalty of Christ, who is the King of Kings. A candle is lit for each Sunday in Advent, the four Sundays prior to Christmas Eve.
The evergreen wreath, shaped in a circle, is a sign of life without end.
The Christ Candle, the tall white candle in the center, represents the light of Christ. We light the Christ-Candle on Christmas Eve.
After Christmas Eve, Advent wreaths are tucked away, but the Christmas crèche remains, for Christ, the Savior is born among us.
Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. We remember, in sequence, the story of God’s love and interaction with us with the two great cycles of the life of Christ: Advent/Christmas/Epiphany and Lent/Easter/Pentecost. The word “Advent” finds its roots in the Latin word adventus, or coming.
Norm Shawchuck and Reuben Job unpack Advent beautifully:
“This season proclaims the coming of Christ in the birth of Jesus, in the Word and Spirit, and in the final victory when God’s kingdom shall be complete. Our privilege as Christians is to receive the gracious gifts of God’s presence in Christ. Our task is to prepare for his coming so that we will not miss life’s greatest gifts.”
May your Advent season be a beautiful time of wonder, love, and praise.
Peace,
Pastor Cathy