The First Week of Advent

Last Sunday marked the beginning of the beautiful season of Advent, a time when the Church invites us to slow down, reflect, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. As we lit the first candle on the Advent wreath, we entered a season filled with anticipation and quiet hope, grounding ourselves once again in the promise of Emmanuel, God with us.

In that same spirit, this reflection looks back on the first Sunday of Advent and the meaning woven into the symbols, colors, and rituals that guide us through these four sacred weeks of waiting.

Like Lent, the liturgical color for Advent is purple symbolizing a time of preparation through prayer and reflection, and sacrifice and good works, so that we can uncover all that separates us from God and one another, and to help us let go of that which is in our way of loving God and one another.

One of the most common and recognized symbols of Advent is the wreath, constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent. Three candles are purple, and one is rose.

The purple candles symbolize the prayer, reflection, sacrifice, good works. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday – Gaudete Sunday. Gaudate, meaning joyful, because we have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when our preparation is now half over, and we are close to Christmas.

The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding the Incarnate Word’s first coming into the world. While each candle corresponds to a Sunday of Advent, it is still a fitting time to begin this journey of preparation that guides us, with a watchful heart, toward the celebration of Christmas.

Blessing of the Advent wreath:

Gracious God,

we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:

he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,

he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,

he is the Savior of every nation.

Loving God,

let your blessing come upon us

as we light the candles of this wreath.

May the wreath and its light

be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.

May he come quickly and not delay.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen.

The First Sunday of Advent:

L             In days to come,

               the mountain of the LORD’s house

               shall be established as the highest mountain

               and raised above the hills.

R            All nations shall stream toward it;

              many peoples shall come and say:

             “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,

             to the house of the God of Jacob,

             that he may instruct us in his ways,

             and we may walk in his paths.”

L             For from Zion shall go forth instruction,

               and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

               He shall judge between the nations,

               and impose terms on many peoples.

R            They shall beat their swords into plowshares

               and their spears into pruning hooks;

              one nation shall not raise the sword against another,

              nor shall they train for war again.

ALL       O house of Jacob, come,

               let us walk in the light of the Lord!