Advent begins December 1st!

What is Advent? Advent—Adventus in Latin, defines “coming” or “arriving.” In the Christian sense the four weeks of Advent start on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve. The Advent wreath was used by early Romans in their winter solstice rites; they frequently exchanged wreath as gifts. The wreath combined the symbols of victory, glory, joy, and celebration. The Christian tradition emphasizes the virtues of hope, faith, Joy, and peace with candles. The Christmas Calendar focuses on a particular tradition for each Advent day celebrated by our ancestors. You can read more about these traditions in A Christmas Tale for each Advent Day, Sigrid Carter; Trafford Publishing 2018. Sigrid features traditions such as: the Christmas tree, the magic of the mistletoe, Christmas Bells, and Our Lady of Guadalupe to name a few; and she shares heartwarming experiences along with illustrations by children from around the world. Email karen@holyspiritlubbock.org to request a copy ($30). Traditionally, Advent Wreaths are constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent.  Ideally, three candles are purple and one is rose, but white candles can also be used. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass. Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead. What are some ways you like to prepare your heart for Christmas? Here is a link to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. Have you tried the Laudate App or the iBreviary App? These can be helpful tools for prayer during the busy weeks before Christmas. My Parish App is another resource, and Formed.org features Advent video, audio, and additional online content.        

  Alteia.org  hosts articles regarding Advent and our Catholic Faith.