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Welcome to Advent!
Welcome to the Anglican Anchoress’ Advent Calendar. This is my wee little experiment in providing resources for my brothers and sisters to help you have a Blessed and Happy Advent. I am praying that you will find if helpful in shifting your focus from the busyness of life to the miracle of the gift of Jesus Christ, the real joy of the Christmas Season.
Advent runs from the first Sunday closest to Nov 30., St. Andrew’s Day through Christmas Eve. Each day on the Advent calendar, you will find readings, music, mediations or other activities to help you remember the source of our true peace and happiness. Today, I’m starting off with explaining a traditional activity, the Lighting of the Advent Wreath.
The Advent Wreath
One of the traditions followed during Advent is the lighting of candles in the Advent Wreath. Designated candles are lit every evening during Advent. To make an Advent Wreath will need:
- Three purple candles
- One pink or rose candle
- One larger white candle
- A wreath or greenery that can be shaped in a wreath. (Flame proof preferred!)
About the Advent Wreath. The circular form of the Advent wreath and the evergreens that make it up both signify God’s endless mercy and undying love. The wreath can be as simple as four candle holders with greenery laid around them to form a circle. However, some traditions attach meanings to using different greens, each signifying another aspect of the season. These include:
Ivy—to remind us of the human spirit clinging to God’s strength.
Cedar—to remind us of eternal life available to all through Christ.
Holly—to remind us of Jesus’ crown of thorns.
Bay—to remind us of victory over sin and death.
Three purple candles and one rose-colored (pink) candle are evenly spaced around the wreath. There is one larger white candle in the center of the wreath. Purple is a liturgical color that is used to signify a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice and is used during Advent and Lent. Advent, also called “little Lent,” is the season where we spiritually wait in our “darkness” with hopeful expectation for our promised redemption, just as the whole world did before Christ’s birth, and just as the whole world does now as we eagerly await his promised return.
Lighting the Candles
Week One. The devotion of lighting the Advent Wreath begins on Sunday, November 27, 2022. The first Sunday of Advent is marked by lighting a purple candle and saying the Collect for the First Sunday in Advent. A Collect is a prayer. You will see this prayer below and it is said every day during the Advent Season. As we move to the subsequent weeks in Advent, this Collect is said after the Collect for that specific week. Each evening of the first week, the process is repeated. Light the first purple candle and recite the Collect.
Week Two. On the Second Sunday in Advent, the first purple candle and an additional purple candle are lit and the Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent and then the Collect for the First Sunday are said. Each evening in the second week you’ll light the same two purple candles and say the two collects.
Week Three. The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. On this day we celebrate that our waiting for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day is almost over. Rose (or pink) is a liturgical color that is used to signify joy, so in addition to lighting the two purple candles from weeks one and two, we will light the pink candle. After lighting the candles, the Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent is said along with the Collect for the First Sunday. Things are certainly looking a lot brighter at this point! Each evening in the Third Week, continue to light the two purple candles and the pink candles and follow by reciting the two collects for the week.
Week Four. Then, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the final purple candle is lit along with the candles form weeks one through three to mark the final week of prayer and preparation as we wait expectantly for the soon-coming birth of the King of Kings. Every evening in this week up to and including Christmas Eve, we say the Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent and the Collect for the First Sunday. As the candlelight grows brighter each week, we are reminded that Christ, the Light of the World will soon arrive in glory.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve in the white candle in the center of the wreath and the other four other candles are lit. The use of the white candle is a relatively recent addition to the Advent wreath signifies the Light of Christ and is first lit on Christmas Eve and then lit again and burned on Christmas Day.
Prayers for Lighting the Candles
Here are some simple prayers that can be said each week as the Candles are lit. These Collects or prayers are found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and are assigned for use during Advent. According to the Prayer Book Society, they come originally from three ancient Sacramentaries (handwritten books containing the Collects and the major part of the Mass) attributed to the names of Pope Leo I (d.461), Pope Gelasius (d.496), and Pope Gregory the Great (d.604). Imagine, uniting your prayers with those innumerable Christians that have said these same prayers over the past 1,400 years!
Collect for the First Week of Advent
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect for the Second Week of Advent
BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Collect for the Third Week of Advent
O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Fourth Week of Advent
O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
Make the Advent Wreath centerpiece of you evenings at the dinner table this year!
+The Anglican Anchoress