One unmistakable sign that it is Advent (and Christmas is on its way) is the lighting of the Advent Wreath. There is something awesome about the simplicity of this calendar that marks the progression of the four Sundays in this season, as we all wait with great anticipation the birth of the Son of God. When looking at a wreath, most have 3 blue/purple candles and one rose colored candle (although some Protestant wreaths have all blue or purple). Advent 1 and 2 are blue candles with readings for these Sundays usually focused on repentance and judgment; Advent 3 is a rose candle to mark Gaudete Sunday with an emphasis on joy, and the final Advent 4 candle is blue and the readings bring our attention to the Virgin Mary and the impending birth of Jesus.
Finally, the fifth and center candle is white, and is called to as the Christ Candle. This final candle is lit on Christmas Eve, and all five candles remain burning through Epiphany. It functions like a small Paschal Candle at Easter, representing the light Christ has brought through his birth, and Christ’s light within us.
While originally Lutheran in origin, the Advent Wreath has made its way to many Christian churches. In the Episcopal Church, we are happy to include it in our worship but careful not to make it the focus of our Sunday. Our Book of Common prayer page 143 says, “the lighting of an Advent Wreath may take place after the Prayer for Light,” so at St. Michael’s during Advent we begin the service with the Prayer for Light, a scripture passage, and the Phos hilaron as our anthem. We then continue with the standard opening for our Eucharistic service. In our Book of Occasional Services says this: “When [the wreath] is used in the church, no special prayers or ceremonial elaboration beyond what is described on page 143 of the Prayer book is desirable.”
I hope this Advent season slowly fills you with light much as these candles are each slowly lit as we prepare for Jesus’s coming. Blessings and peace to you this season!
More reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath
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