Christmas break is upon us and we have been immersed in celebrating the Advent season on the Comet Tales Blog as we shared about Hope and Peace the last two weeks. To wrap up our Advent Candles blog series, let’s talk about the Joy and Love during this season, in our lives, and in our community.
The pink candle on the Advent wreath symbolizes JOY. Joy is defined as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. We, as a community at Corpus Christi, celebrate joy by spreading it to those in need. We have donated to the Heifer Project; our recent Hot Chocolate Fundraiser was focused to bring joy to the Elizabeth House. The school Coat Drive the last few weeks is going to bring warmth to many. During this time, the candle of joy helps us focus on the joy we can share with the less fortunate, our families, friends, and spreading Christ’s love to everyone.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 never fails to describe God’s unconditional love for us. “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
The last purple candle on the Advent wreath symbolizes LOVE; Love that is meant to be shared with others. That is what Jesus and God want us to do. Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection. In the book, The Five Love Languages, author Gary Chapman shares “Love is a way of life. Love is part of who you are so that when a person encounters you, they’re going to feel love… There’s a universal human need to feel loved. The objective is to enhance others’ lives.” Sharing love with others fulfills not only others’ needs, it embodies God Himself. As God provides for our needs, He delivered His son, Jesus, to save us from our sins.
This Christmas season is pivotal to our faith; a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the birth of Jesus. We, as an educational and faith community, can undoubtedly brighten our world by spreading Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy, during this season, and for all of time… And while you’re at it, here is a Christmas Prayer from Pope John XXII that we can share with our families.
O sweet Child of Bethlehem, grant that we may share with all our hearts in this profound mystery of Christmas.
Put into the hearts of men and women this peace for which they sometimes seek so desperately and which you alone can give to them.
Help them to know one another better, and to live as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father.
Reveal to them also your beauty, holiness, and purity.
Awaken in their hearts love and gratitude for your infinite goodness.
Join them all together in your love.
And give us your heavenly peace.
Amen.