Advent What is Advent? Advent is the period of time before Christmas during which Christians wait for the birth of Jesus. The word “advent” comes from a Latin word which means “coming”

What is an Advent Wreath? The Advent Wreath represents many things.

Candles, Candles, Candles The four candles represent the four Sundays before Christmas day. We light one candle each Sunday of Advent. The actual length of time of Advent varies from year to year because Christmas is not always on the same day of the week. Sometimes there is a white candle placed in the center of the wreath lit on Christmas day.

The Purple Candles Each color candle has it’s own meaning. Purple- “sorrow” (it is always appropriate to be sorry for our sins) and “hope” There are three purple candles in the wreath. They are lit on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th weeks of Advent.

Pink Candle There is one pink candle in the Advent wreath. It is lit on the third Sunday. Pink represents joy. This Sunday is sometimes called “Gaudete” Sunday Gaudete means rejoice We rejoice that our waiting for Jesus is more than half over.

The Wreath The Wreath holds all the candles together. It is made out of evergreens to symbolize life. It shows God’s promise to us of eternal life. The wreath is circular to show that God’s love for us has no beginning or end. *History* Early Christians adapted the idea of a wreath from pagan practices of a wheel with candles.

Light What does the light on the candle represent? The light on the candle symbolizes that Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus lights up our life with his love and spirit, this is shown by the flame.

Facts Here are some interesting facts about Advent .

Fact 1 Advent and Christmas is when the church celebrates the three comings of Christ. These are:

The Past The first coming of Jesus is the celebration of Christmas when He was born 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.

The Present The Present coming of Jesus is when he is in our lives everyday. He is with us in our prayers, in the sacraments, and all our actions.

The Future The future coming of Jesus is also known as the “Second Coming”. This is sometimes called the Parousia. It is when Jesus will come again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead.

The Comings of Jesus History Mystery Majesty These three comings are classified as: History Mystery Majesty

Fact 3 Ever wonder why some Catholics say Happy New Year in November and December? This is because the 1st Sunday of Advent starts the New Liturgical year.

Fact 4 Isaiah (Old Testament) John the Baptist (New Testament) During Advent in the Mass we read from and about 2 Advent Prophets. A prophet is a chosen messenger of God sent to deliver a message. They are: Isaiah (Old Testament) John the Baptist (New Testament)

Isaiah and John the Baptist Isaiah has a book of the Bible dedicated to him. It is divided into 3 parts and was probably written by at least three different people. Isaiah is about the struggles of the Israelites during about two hundred years of their history. Many “messianic” prophecies are contained in the book of Isaiah. John the Baptist baptized people but once said that there was One coming that is much greater than he and he was not worthy to undo His sandals. He predicted the greatness of Jesus.

Their Message Both of these Advent prophets’ message was the same. It was to give hope and tell the people to repent and be sorry for their sins, and get ready for the coming of the Lord.

Summary Advent- The period of 4 weeks before Christmas. Advent Wreath- A symbolic way to prepare for Advent with 4 candles, 3 purple, and 1 pink. Advent celebrates the 3 comings of Christ. There are 2 Advent Prophets. Isaiah and John the Baptist

THE END When Advent is over and all the candles have been lit… HAVE A VERY And may God bless!