Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation of the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. Contrary to much of what we see in the stores and malls, online and on the radio, Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th. The four weeks prior to Christmas are not meant to replace the celebration of Christmas. The Advent season is meant to direct our hearts and minds to the birth of Christ as well as Christ’s second coming at the end of time.

Advent devotions, including the Advent wreath, point to the true meaning of the Christmas season. One of the wonderful traditions of Advent include the prayers that can be prayed together as a family or alone. These prayers help to focus our hearts and minds on the true meaning of Christmas. During the Advent season families should spend time together preparing for the approaching celebration of the birth of Christ. An Advent wreath can be a great focal point for family prayers and holiday celebrations. An Advent wreath is a wreath of laurel, spruce or similar foliage with four candles that are lighted successively in the weeks of Advent to symbolize the light that the birth of Christ brought into the world.

Traditionally three of the candles are purple, the color of kings and of penance. A rose-colored candle is used to mark the Third Sunday of Advent as a time to rejoice over the closeness of Christmas and the coming of Christ. Children love the beauty of the simple traditional ceremony. Lighting candles in an Advent Wreath is a simple way to start a tradition of family worship in the home. Those who participate will cherish the experience all their lives.
Our gift shop offers traditional Advent wreaths for you to purchase for yourself or give as a gift to your children who may have strayed away from the Church. Advent traditions are a great way to evangelize others who may not be familiar with the coming of the Christ Child. I have included just one of many examples of how to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas.

Blessing of the Wreath

Prayer: Each day your family should gather around the Advent wreath, generally before the evening meal. The proper number of candles are then lighted, and a prayer is said.
Leader: O God, by whose Word all things are sanctified, pour forth Your blessing upon this wreath and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from You abundant graces. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
The wreath would then be sprinkled with water. Then follows the prayer which is said before the evening meal each night of the first week in Advent.

Advent Wreath Prayers

Week One
Reader 1: The first week of Advent we remember the gift of hope we have in Christ. The prophets of Israel all spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a savior would be born, a king in the line of David. They spoke of how he would rule the world wisely and bless all nations.
Reader 2: As followers of Christ, we wait with hope for his return. As we light this candle, we remember that it was from the manger at Bethlehem that he came and gave light to the world. As we light this candle, we are reminded to be alert and to watch for the light of Christ even in the most unlikely places and people. (Reader lights the first purple candle on the Advent Wreath.) Family members share one way they have experienced hope today.
Reader 3: Let us pray - Loving God, we thank you for the hope you give us. Help us prepare our hearts for the Lord's coming by being open seeing to the light of Christ in others. We ask this in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen.

Week Two
Reader 1: The second week of Advent we remember the gift of Peace we have in Christ. Peace is a gift that we must be prepared for and must work for. God gives us the gift of peace when we turn to him working together in faith.
Reader 2: Through John the Baptist and all the other prophets, God asks us to prepare the way of the Lord, whom the prophet Isaiah calls “the Prince of Peace.” As we light this candle today we look with hope for the day that Christ’s peace will reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our communities, and in our world. As we light this candle, we are reminded to work for that peace of Christ to come and take root in us. (Reader lights the first two purple candles on the Advent Wreath.) Family members share how they have experienced peace today.

Reader 3: Let us pray - Loving God, we thank you for the gift of peace you give us through Jesus. Help us prepare our hearts for the Lord’s coming by working for Christ’s peace to take root in our family. We ask this in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen.

Week Three
Reader 1: The third week of Advent we remember the gift of Joy we have in Christ. We remember the joy that Mary felt when the angel Gabriel told her that a special child would be born to her - a child who would save and deliver all people. Joy is the gift we all receive from the unconditional love Christ has for us.
Reader 2: God wants us all to have joy. The angel who announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born told them: "Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people - for to you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord." As we light this candle, we remember that Christ came to bring true and everlasting joy to all people. As we light this candle, we are reminded that Christ came to save all people. (Reader lights the first two purple candles and the pink candle on the Advent Wreath.) Family members share how they have experienced joy today.
Reader 3: Let us pray - Loving God, we thank you for the joy you bring us. Help us prepare our hearts for the Lord’s coming by helping us see that Christ came for every person we meet wherever we go. We ask this in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen.

Week Four
Reader 1: The fourth week of Advent we remember the gift of Love we have in Christ. The light of the candles is meant to remind us of the love that God has for us. Jesus shows us God's perfect love. He is God's love in human form. The Bible says that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
Reader 2: Love is patient, love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful or conceited, rude or selfish. Love is not quick to take offense, it keeps no records of wrongs, it does not gloat over other people's troubles, but rejoices in the right, the good, and the true. There is nothing that love cannot face, there is no limit to its faith, to its hope, to its endurance. Love never ends. As we light this candle, we remember that we are called to love like Christ loves us. As we light this candle, we are reminded that we are called to show that love in the way we treat others. (Reader lights all the candles on the Advent Wreath.) Family members share how they have experienced love today.
Reader 3: Let us pray - Loving God, we thank you for your gift of love - shown to us perfectly in Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us prepare our hearts for the Lord’s coming by loving others as Christ loves us. We ask this in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord.
All: Amen

In addition to having an Advent wreath as part of your family's Christmas celebration, create your own Advent calendar of actions you and your family can take each day to bring you closer to Christ. Write the schedule activities on a calendar that is prominently posted. These activities could include donating toys to a drive for needy children, bringing used clothing to St. Vincent de Paul, volunteering at a soup kitchen, reading a Christmas poem or story aloud. The two non-negotiables in our home (besides the Advent Wreath) were placing the Nativity scene in our home and attending Mass together.

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline

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