First Sunday of Advent

Four minute homilies

First Sunday of Advent

The Advent wreath is a Christian tradition that symbolises the passage of the four weeks of Advent. It is a reminder that time passes, every Sunday a new candle, and we need to be ready for when Our Lord is born in our soul on Christmas Day. The lighting of a candle can be accompanied by a Scripture reading, some prayers and reflections. By the lighting of the candles on each subsequent Sunday, the light increases, until, by the last Sunday of Advent, all four candles are lit. The traditional way to light the candles is clockwise, following the normal passage of time. Some Advent wreaths include a fifth candle in the middle, the Christ candle, which is lit at Christmas Eve. It shows in a graphic way the centrality of Jesus in our lives.

The wreath is made of evergreen leaves or branches, which symbolise the hope of eternal life and the continuous life of Christ, since neither ever die. It also represents God’s unchanging love for us. The green colour is the most pleasing to the eye, symbol of hope. The circular form of the wreath symbolises the eternity of God and the immortality of the soul, since a circle has no ending. It also represents God’s infinite love for us. In a circle neither the beginning nor the end can be found. God’s love is always flowing without interruption. It gives an impression of a never ending life of grace for us.

The four candles have different interpretations, each one emphasising different aspects of Christian life. One specifically symbolizes the Christian concepts of hope, peace, joy and love. Another interpretation states that the first candle is the Prophecy candle, representing the prophets who predicted the coming of Jesus; the second is the Bethlehem candle, representing the journey of Joseph and Mary; the third represents the Shepherds’ candle and their joy; and the fourth is the Angels’ candle, representing peace. Other visions centre onthose looking forward to the coming of Christ: the prophets, John the Baptist, Joseph and Mary. Some spiritual authors foster some acts of virtue for every week, specially directed to the people we live with: patience, forgiveness, acts of service and a smiling attitude.

The colour of the candles also has meaning. The traditional two colours are violet and rose, corresponding with the colors of the liturgical vestments for the Sundays of Advent. The third Sunday the priest is allowed to use a rose chasuble; it is called Gaudete Sunday, corresponding to the first words of the Latin entrance antiphon, meaning rejoice. Christ’s candle is always white, the colour that encompasses all of them.

The candles are lit reflecting Christ as the light of the world, who came to dispel darkness. It reminds us that when we baptise a baby, we bring a lighted candle close to the neofite, to signify his soul full of light and cleanliness. Getting closer to Christmas more candles are lit and therefore produce more light. Every day that passes, we are getting closer to the coming light. The closer we come to Jesus the more we see. As Psalm 35 says, “In your light, God, we see light.” While the candles are lit we are safe. We cannot allow the flame to be extinguished, otherwise we will be in total darkness, the absence of Jesus, the colour of the evil one.

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