Welcome to Advent!
Taddeo Gaddi. Madonna del Parto (fresco), c. 1355.
San Francesco di Paola, Florence.
[To learn more about Madonna del Parto paintings, see: Brendan Cassidy. “A Relic. Some Pictures and the Mothers of Florence in the Late Fourteenth Century,” Gesta, Vol. 30, No. 2 (1991), pp. 91-99.]
(Listen to an audio version of the blog post above!)
In the Western Church, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and it can occur anytime between November 28 and December 3. This year (2021) Advent begins on Sunday, November 28th, and it marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical year. “Advent” is from the Latin, adventus, which means, “coming.” It launches four weeks of anticipation, waiting for Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
In most churches the color purple sets the Advent tone. Purple is the color of royalty, welcoming the coming into the world of Jesus Christ, the King. It is also the color of fasting, penitence and suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. The dual association is not accidental: Jesus’ birth cannot be separated from his death, burial and resurrection. The purpose of Jesus’ incarnation is to reveal God’s love and grace through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his passion. Hence, the same color for the two seasons. In fact, in the early church Advent was a time of fasting and penitence, much as during Lent.
During Advent, many churches bedeck their sanctuaries in evergreen boughs, evergreen trees and wreaths, symbolizing new and everlasting life brought through Jesus Christ. The Advent wreath takes a prominent place in many churches. It consists of a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. The circular wreath symbolizes God himself who is without beginning or end and who is everlasting. The white center candle represents Christ, the light who has come into the world, while the four outer candles represent the four weeks anticipating his coming. Of the four outer candles, three are purple and one is rose. The purple candles represent the royalty of Christ the King, and they link that royalty to his death, burial and resurrection, celebrated during Lent and Easter. The first purple candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent and the second purple candle is lit on the second Sunday of Advent. On the third Sunday, the Rose candle is added to them. The third Sunday—traditionally called Gaudete Sunday (from the Latin gaude, “rejoice,” the first word of the introit of this Sunday’s Mass: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice . . .”), represents an easing of fasting and penitence and segues into rejoicing and celebration. The fourth purple candle rounds out the season.
Today, the idea of fasting and penitence during Advent has virtually disappeared, and the entire season has taken on a tone of anticipation and celebration. Many churches today teach that the five candles represent the light of Christ coming into the world, the white center candle being Christ himself, while the four surrounding candles are organized around themes or characters leading to Christ’s incarnation: the first outer candle symbolizes expectation or hope, and the remaining three candles—love, joy and peace; annunciation, proclamation and fulfillment; Bethlehem, shepherds and angels; or John the Baptist, Mary and the Magi. Alternatively, the white center candle may represent Christ, while the four outer candles may represent the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Regardless of one’s denomination, liturgical symbols and traditions, such as those used during Advent, add color, tone and texture to our Christian lives, linking us to our past, celebrating our present and anticipating our future in God’s kingdom. We have a rich heritage, and if we embrace it with understanding and clarity it will deepen our memories, enrich our lives and create a lasting legacy for future generations.