What Is the Meaning of Advent?

Once Thanksgiving is over, we enter the season of Advent, a stark reminder that we have four weeks to buy Christmas presents, decorate the tree and cook all the food for this special day. Christmas has all kinds of traditions, including Advent calendars, buying and decorating a Christmas tree, lighting an Advent wreath, and reading a daily Advent devotion. Decorating our homes and the church for Christmas is another task for many of us.

The word “Advent” denotes the beginning of an event or the arrival of a person. The word is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “arrival.” So “Advent” is a fitting term for the four weeks before Christmas.

Many churches and some families have an Advent wreath. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. Each week signifies 1,000 years to represent the 4,000 years between Adam and Eve until the birth of Christ. Three of the candles are purple, and one is rose-colored. The purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance and preparatory good works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday. This is the Sunday of rejoicing because the faithful have arrived at the mid-point of Advent. Many wreaths have a white candle in the center to be lit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to symbolize that the Savior, Jesus, has come.

The four themes of Advent are: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Each week of Advent emphasizes one of these four themes to help us prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas. As we light each candle, we are reminded that Christ is the Light of the World.

Prayer – Father, teach us the true meaning of Advent and help us prepare for the arrival of Jesus. Remind us that Christmas is more than tinsel and mistletoe – it’s about the coming of your Son – Jesus the Christ! Amen.

Luke 2:15 – “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.’”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: Kalisa Veer, Paige Cody & Tim Mossholder, courtesy of Unsplash