ADVENT

 
Good morning to you!

May God richly bless you and 
fill you with His love and peace!
Today is rainy and dreary again but this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Last Sunday was the second Sunday of Advent. During Advent we are to open ourselves up to God's Spirit. When we focus on Him the busyness of the world is calmed and we pay attention to Him, trust in Him and His promises, and we wait in joyful anticipation of the Birthday of the King. 

In case you don't go to church and don't know the significance of the Advent wreath, I can give you sort of a brief description.

An Advent wreath consists of four purple candles (or three purple and one pink candle) placed around a wreath with a white Christ candle in the center of the circle. 

The first candle lit on the first Sunday of Advent is one of the purple candles. It symbolizes the hope of the people of Israel for the promised Messiah and the Christian hope for the coming again of Jesus Christ in final victory.

The second Sunday, we light two candles. The second purple candle symbolizes preparation. As we wait, we prepare our hearts to receive God’s Spirit anew within us through penitence and the throwing off of our sinful ways of living.

The third Sunday, we light three candles, two purple and the pink. The pink or rose candle symbolizes joy. We can rejoice as we wait and proclaim that the fulfillment of God’s promise is near. 

The fourth Sunday, we light all four. The fourth candle symbolizes God’s love for the world. We praise and thank God for the revelation of his love for us through the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ.

On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we light the four candles as well as the Christ candle. The light of the Christ candle reminds us of Jesus, who came into the world as a baby, born to pierce our darkness with a light that will never be extinguished.

I would like to add this prayer from Dating God: Franciscan Spirituality for the 21st Century.

Father in heaven,
our hearts desire the warmth of your love
and our minds are searching for the light of your Word.
Increase our longing for Christ our Savior
and give us the strength to grow in love,
that the dawn of his coming
may find us rejoicing in his presence
and welcoming the light of his truth.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
– AMEN.

I hope this gives you a little clarity on what the Advent season is all about. I know many churches do this differently but I find this very comforting. God is with us. Never forget that!

Have a wondrous day!

Les (lesbear)






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