dvent is a special season celebrated to mark the beginning of the church’s liturgical year. It has been celebrated for a very long time, and this year, it began on Sunday, November 29th. Advent encompasses the four Sundays and weekdays leading up to the celebration of Christmas. It is also a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus, which means we need to do our best to prepare for His love for the world. Christmas break is upon us and we have been immersed in celebrating the season of Advent.
At Corpus Christi, one of the ways we commemorate Advent is by putting up an Advent Wreath, learning about what it represents and lighting one candle each week together. And although we are not all physically present to celebrate as a school community, an Advent prayer, a longtime tradition at Corpus Christi has continued to be celebrated throughout the month of December; this time, done virtually once a week.
The Advent wreath and its candles symbolize the Christmas season. The circular wreath itself signifies continuous life and the everlasting love of God with no beginning or end; the various evergreens represents eternal life. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. One tradition says that each candle also represents 1,000 years; they total 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of Christ. The four candles, which represent Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love represent something meaningful during the season of Advent. Three candles are purple and one is pink. The purple candle represents Penance, and in ancient times, was expensive and considered the color of royalty and kings. Pink symbolizes joy and is lit during the third week of advent. Each candle is lit every week.
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, Joy, and Love, during this season, even during unprecedented times like 2020 has been… And while you’re at it, below is a short Advent prayer that we can share with our families.
Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to be with us.
Help us to be loving and kind as we get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birthday.
Amen.