Pondering the Advent Wreath

The Catholic Liturgy for the First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2, 2018. Gospel – Luke 21: 25-36. Theme: Pondering the Advent Wreath

(AUDIO HOMILY NOTE: Forgot to turn off recorder. Homily ends at 7.15 minutes. After this is blessing of Advent Wreath and empty air.)

Advent begins today and its unique liturgical spirit is symbolized for us in the tradition of the Advent Wreath, which Catholic churches and homes throughout the world begin lighting today.  The Advent Wreath isn’t just a haphazard decoration for the season that Christians have come up with. It’s meant to teach us about God’s promises and prophecies. It’s a way of helping us prepare for the coming of Christ by remembering the past while looking forward to the future.  The Advent Wreath reminds us to have faith in God, to trust in His Word, to rejoice in His Presence and to pray that the fullness of His Kingdom comes soon!

So, let’s take a good look at this ancient symbol of the Advent Wreath and see what it has to say to us about preparing for the coming of Christ.

First of all, we see placed at four points of the Wreath, 3 violet candles and 1 rose or pink one. Each one of these stands for an era of human history and each one has its own unique lesson to teach us.  The violet color symbolizes prayer and preparation while pink is symbolic of joy.  

The first violet candle represents the Beginning of Salvation History, from the Creation of Adam and Eve until the call of Abraham.  It teaches us that Advent is a time to return to our roots as children of God created to live in an intimate relationship with Him.  It calls us to turn away from the sinful choice of Adam and Eve to life on their own terms instead of according to God’s plan. This first candle summons us to exercise the gift of faith and prepare for Christ by rejecting sin and choosing God. Its advice is summed up for us in today’s responsorial psalm: "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul."

The second violet candle stands for the Era of the Old Testament, that is, from the call of Abraham to become the father of God’s chosen people until the Birth of St. John the Baptist which was 6 months before the Nativity of Christ.  We are dealing here with a period of about 2,000 years. Throughout this era, God sent prophets to prepare the people for the arrival of the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior would bring peace, justice and healing to those who believe in Him.  These promises and prophecies of the Old Testament are beautifully summed up for us in today’s first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah.  This second candle calls us to exercise the virtue of Hope by trusting in God and never forgetting -  no matter how things may seem – that He is a Father who always keeps His promises.

The third candle stands out from among the rest because of its pink or rose color. This is the color of joy and it represents the Era of the New Testament, from the Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem to His Ascension and Return to Heaven 33 years later.  We even give a special name to the third Sunday of Advent when we light this candle; it is called Gaudete which means Rejoicing Sunday! We are filled with happiness because the Father has kept His word and God has become one of us in Jesus, the Newborn King. This is the candle of Christmas Joy.

Finally, we come to the fourth candle and we return to the violet color. This last candle symbolizes the final era of humanity, from now – the present – until that time when Jesus returns in glory to establish His Eternal Kingdom. This is the real Advent for which we are preparing. When we sing hymns such as “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” or “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” this is what we are really talking about. We are not pretending is if Jesus has not yet come among us at Bethlehem, but we are looking forward to his Return in Glory.   And so, this candle calls us to a spirit of eager longing for the Second Coming of Christ, because when that blessed Day finally arrives, good will triumph over evil forever and the enemies of human life – sin, suffering and death – will be banished from our existence once and for all.

So, we can see that even though Advent is a time of remembering the first coming of Jesus in the flesh, it is first and foremost a time to acknowledge that the whole meaning and purpose of Bethlehem, of Christmas, will be fulfilled when Jesus returns in glory. So let’s spend these next few weeks opening our ears to His voice, opening our hearts to His presence, and asking ourselves how spiritually prepared and ready we are for when He comes again.