Today is the first Sunday of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent varies — it falls between November 17 and December 3. Advent season can be as long as 4 complete weeks or as short as 3 weeks and 1 day. It begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. The first Sunday of Advent is the start of each new Church year. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin Word adventus, which means “coming” or “visit.”
Around this time of year, commercialism has taken over and you see a lot of Advent calendars for sale. An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas.The Advent calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries, but now it’s popular among followers of many Christian denominations. The first Advent calendars for sale usually had pictures inside each “window” on the calendar, and later they they began to put a chocolate behind each window’s door. Today there are beer, wine, various types of food and even toys in the Advent calendar windows….
Another prominent symbol of the season is the Advent wreath. Advent wreaths have four candles — usually one is lit each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each of the four candles has a meaning — Hope, Peace/Preparation, Joy and Love. The candles also have names: Prophecy Candle, Bethlehem Candle, Shepherd Candle and Angel Candle. The third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday in the Catholic Church. Gaudete means “rejoice” in Latin. The third Sunday of Advent candle is pink (or rose) colored — it is lit to represent joy and anticipation of Christmas. The Catholic Church uses the color pink, or rose, to indicate a joyful feast day or holiday. Gaudete Sunday’s counterpart in Lent is Laetare Sunday, another break in penance to rejoice in hope as we approach Easter. During both days, a priest will usually wear rose vestments.
Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) inaugurated a season of preparation for Christmas called Advent, composed of prayers and responses, and preached from a series of scriptures appropriate for the season. In the 11th century, Pope Gregory VII decreed the observance of a season of Advent that was to last through the four Sundays before December 25, beginning on the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30) and ending on December 24.
So starting today, it is the season…..
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