All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
Leader: In the short days and long nights of Advent, we realize how we were always waiting for deliverance, always needing salvation by our God. Around this wreath, we shall remember God's promise.
Scripture Reading
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.
This is the Word of the Lord.
(Alternate readings: Isaiah 63:16-17 or Isaiah 64:2-7)
All: Thanks be to God.
Lord's Prayer
Leader: Let us now pray for God's blessing upon us and upon this wreath.
Lord our God, we praise you for your child, Jesus Christ: the Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples, the wisdom that teaches and guides us, the Savior of every nation.
Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ's promise to bring us salvation.
May he come quickly and not delay.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Light the first candle.
Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God. (Making the sign of the cross)
The blessing concludes with a verse from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” or another advent song.
Each day in Advent, perhaps at the evening meal, light the candles: one candle the first week, two the second, and so forth.
---> The Church’s liturgical year begins with the first Sunday of Advent.
---> Advent begins on the Sunday nearest November 30th, which is the feast of St. Andrew, and lasts until December 24th.
---> The word Advent comes from the word adventus which means “coming.”
---> Advent is a season in the Church year when we remember how the Word of God became human in the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, which we celebrate on Christmas. During Advent we also reflect on and celebrate how Jesus comes into our lives and is present with us every day.
---> Advent is a time of hoping and working for a change of heart. We focus on being more open to the love of God in our lives, and the salvation offered through Jesus.
---> The Advent wreath is a tradition of the season. It is a symbol of our hope in Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.
---> The circle and evergreens on the Advent wreath remind us of God’s everlasting love which has no beginning and no end.
---> The four unlit candles on the wreath remind us of the four thousand years before Christ’s birth, a time of spiritual “cold and darkness” as humanity awaited the birth of the Messiah. They also represent the four weeks of Advent.
---> It is customary to use three purple and one pink or white candle on the Advent wreath. The purple reminds us of the need for sorrow for our sins. The pink or white candle reminds us of the joy and hope we share in Jesus, the Light of the World, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
--->Advent begins with the lighting of one purple candle on the first Sunday of Advent. The pink candle is lit the third week when the Advent focus shifts to the special joy of the Christmas event. The increasing light of each week reminds us that Christmas is closer, and Christ’s presence continues to grow and brighten our lives. It also reminds us that by being Christ’s light today, we can brighten the “darkness” we find in our lives and in the world around us.