The first Sunday of the Advent season also marks the beginning of the Church's liturgical year. Advent Sunday always falls on or nearest S Andrew's Day, November 30. Because the secular calendar changes from year to year, Advent Sunday may fall on any day between November 27 and December 3.

The season can also vary from 22 to 28 days in length, ending on Christmass Eve. It always contains four Sundays. Advent originated as a time of preparation for people entering the church family, prior to their baptism on Epiphany, January 6.

Between the fourth and seventh centuries, the season varied from three to as many as seven weeks in different parts of Christendom. During this time, Advent came to be seen as a time of preparation for all believers in anticipation of Christmass. The Church eventually set the season's length at four Sundays in the sixth century.

Advent is above all a time of joyful anticipation. It has a threefold meaning for Christians today: the coming of the Jesus in human form at Christmass, the coming of the Christ in Word and Spirit, and the coming of the Christ in glory at the end of the age. It is, therefore, a time when the church looks back at the historical event of Christ's nativity, looks around at the revelation of Jesus in scripture and experience, and looks ahead to Christ's return at the end of time.

During Advent, emphasis is placed on the reading of Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah.

The Advent Wreath

The lighting of the Advent wreath is a familiar custom during this season in churches and in homes. A wreath is formed, usually of evergreen branches, and adorned with three purple candles and one rose pink. A single white candle is added to the middle of the wreath on Christmass Eve.

On each Sunday in Advent a candle is lit until, at last, all four candles are burning. The increasing light shed by the candles represents our increasing joy as the day of Jesus' coming approaches.

The rose pink candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday - "Let us rejoice". Church vestments and altar frontals are also chanced from purple to rose pink on this Sunday.

Finally at Midnight Mass the white candle is lit to proclaim that Jesus, the Light of the World has come. As with most things in church the Advent wreath is full of symbolism and a vehicle to tell the Christmass story. The exact meaning given to the various aspects of the wreath however, is not as important as the story to which it invites us all to listen, and participate.

The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity, His love and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. Candles symbolise the light of God coming into the world through the birth of his Son. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light in the world ourselves, as we reflect the light of God's grace to others.

The progression in the lighting of the candles symbolises the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lit over the four week period, which also symbolise the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ, it also symbolises the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world.

The flame of each new candle reminds us that something is happening, and that more is yet to come.

Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lit at Midnight Mass on Christmass Eve, and we rejoice that the promise of long ago has been realised.

Page last updated 24.01.05 © St Giles Aintree 2005