November 16

INTRODUCTION

GAME Q&A
Purple if ADVENT
Black for NOT ADVENT
1.) Preparation for the coming of Jesus
2.) Has 7 Candles in the wreath
3.) The wreath is in a circular form
4.) The circular form represents God’s unending love
That has no beginning or end.
5.) There are 2 Sundays in Advent

ADVENT

Scripture
[Mt. 24:42-44]
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But
understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he
would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be
ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
(Reflection Time)

What is Advent?
- Advent is one of the 5 liturgical seasons of the Church cycle or year
- The season of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical cycle of the Roman Catholic Church.
- Advent is the period of time before Christmas during which Christians wait for the birth of Jesus.
- The word “advent” comes from a Latin word “adventus” which means “coming
- The word ‘Adventus” is the equivalent of the Greek word “Parousia”, commonly used in the
letters of Paul to refer to the Second Coming of Christ
- The season of Advent begins four Sundays before December 25th or Christmas Day
- The liturgical color of Advent is purple which highlights the penitential character of the season
of Advent

Spirit of Advent
- Advent is a season of expectation, preparation and penance
- Advent has a dual character. As a season of penance it prepares us spiritually for the
celebration of the Christmas season, in which we Catholics celebrate and reflect upon the
mystery of the Incarnation of the word of God. Typically known as the first coming.
- Advent also has an eschatological character filled with a sense of expectation. Advent is a time
to put the house of the soul in order before the arrival of the guest of honour Christ Jesus, who
will come unannounced like a thief in the night in His second coming.
What is an Advent Wreath?
The Advent Wreath represents many things.

Candles, Candles, Candles

The four candles represent the four Sundays before Christmas day.
We light one candle each Sunday of Advent.
The actual length of time of Advent varies from year to year because Christmas is not always on the same
day of the week.
Sometimes there is a white candle placed in the center of the wreath lit on Christmas day.
The four candles represent in a symbolic way the four thousand years of longing and
waiting that passed between Adam and the coming of the promised Messiah.

The Purple Candles

- Each color candle has it’s own meaning.
- Purple- “sorrow” (it is always appropriate to be sorry for our sins) and “hope”
- There are three purple candles in the wreath. They are lit on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th
weeks of Advent.

Pink Candle
There is one pink candle in the Advent wreath. It is lit on the third Sunday.
Pink represents joy.
This Sunday is sometimes called “Gaudete” Sunday
Gaudete means rejoice
We rejoice that our waiting for Jesus is more than half over.

The Wreath
The Wreath holds all the candles together.
• It is made out of evergreens to symbolize life. It shows God’s promise to us of eternal
life.
•The wreath is circular to show that God’s love for us has no beginning or end.
*History* Early Christians adapted the idea of a wreath from pagan practices of a wheel
with candles.

Light
What does the light on the candle represent?
The light on the candle symbolizes that Jesus is the light of the world.
Jesus lights up our life with his love and spirit, this is shown by the flame.

When Advent is over and all the candles have been lit…
HAVE A VERY