Advent
What is Advent?
Advent is the period of
time before Christmas
during which Christians
wait for the birth of Jesus.
The word “advent” comes
from a Latin word which
means “coming”
What is an Advent Wreath?

The Advent Wreath represents many things.
Candles, Candles, Candles

The four candles represent
the four Sundays before
Christmas day.
 We light one candle each
Sunday of Advent.
 The actual length of time of
Advent varies from year to
year because Christmas is
not always on the same day
of the week.
 Sometimes there is a white
candle placed in the center of
the wreath lit on Christmas
day.
The Purple Candles

Each color candle has it’s own meaning.
Purple- “sorrow” (it is always
appropriate to be sorry for
our sins) and “hope”
There are three purple candles in
the wreath. They are lit on the
1st, 2nd, and 4th weeks of
Advent.
Pink Candle





There is one pink candle in the Advent
wreath. It is lit on the third Sunday.
Pink represents joy.
This Sunday is sometimes called
“Gaudete” Sunday
Gaudete means rejoice
We rejoice that our waiting for Jesus is
more than half over.
The Wreath
The Wreath holds all the candles together.
• It is made out of evergreens to symbolize life. It
shows God’s promise to us of eternal life.
•The wreath is circular to show that God’s love for us
has no beginning or end.
*History* Early
Christians adapted the
idea of a wreath from
pagan practices of a wheel
with candles.
Light

What does the light on
the candle represent?
 The light on the candle
symbolizes that Jesus is
the light of the world.
 Jesus lights up our life
with his love and spirit,
this is shown by the
flame.
Facts

Here are some interesting facts
about Advent .
Fact 1

Advent and Christmas is when the
church celebrates the three
comings of Christ.
These are:
The Past

The first coming of Jesus is the
celebration of Christmas when He
was born 2000 years ago in
Bethlehem.
The Present

The Present coming of Jesus is
when he is in our lives everyday.
He is with us in our prayers, in the
sacraments, and all our actions.
The Future

The future coming of Jesus is also
known as the “Second Coming”.
This is sometimes called the
Parousia. It is when Jesus will
come again at the end of time to
judge the living and the dead.
The Comings of Jesus

These three comings are classified
as:
•History
•Mystery
•Majesty
Fact 3

Ever wonder why some Catholics
say Happy New Year in November
and December?
 This is because the 1st Sunday of
Advent starts the New Liturgical
year.
Fact 4

During Advent in the Mass we read
from and about 2 Advent Prophets.
 A prophet is a chosen messenger
of God sent to deliver a message.
They are:
 Isaiah
(Old Testament)
 John the Baptist (New
Testament)
Isaiah and John the Baptist


Isaiah has a book of the Bible dedicated to him. It
is divided into 3 parts and was probably written
by at least three different people. Isaiah is about
the struggles of the Israelites during about two
hundred years of their history. Many “messianic”
prophecies are contained in the book of Isaiah.
John the Baptist baptized people but once said
that there was One coming that is much greater
than he and he was not worthy to undo His
sandals. He predicted the greatness of Jesus.
Their Message

Both of these Advent prophets’
message was the same.
 It was to give hope and tell the
people to repent and be sorry for
their sins, and get ready for the
coming of the Lord.
Summary

Advent- The period of 4 weeks
before Christmas.
 Advent Wreath- A symbolic way to
prepare for Advent with 4 candles,
3 purple, and 1 pink.
 Advent celebrates the 3 comings
of Christ.
 There are 2 Advent Prophets.
Isaiah and John the Baptist
THE END

When Advent is over and all the
candles have been lit…

HAVE A VERY
And may God bless!