First Sunday of Advent - November 30th, 2008

Today is the first Sunday of Advent.

Advent means “coming” and for the next four weeks, we are preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate Jesus’ coming. We celebrate both his fulfilling of Old Testament prophecy and his coming again.

The Advent wreath represents God’s love. It is a never-ending circle, as God’s love is never-ending. It is made of evergreen to symbolize the living love of God. The candles represent Jesus, the light of the world. Three of the candles are purple for the majesty of Jesus. This first candle, the candle of hope, or of expectation or prophecy, is one of the purple ones.

The Jews of the Old Testament hoped for the Messiah, whose birth we celebrate at this season. The people of the New Testament hoped to be with Jesus forever, as well as hoping for his return. Today we still hope for these things

There is a saying, ‘Hope lights a candle instead of cursing the darkness. But you say, ‘I’ve lost the match.’ It is God that has the match, strikes it, and lights the candle for you.”

Of all the words associated with Advent, only hope is transient. When hope is fulfilled, it stops being hope, and turns instead to joy or thankfulness

Advent comes from the Latin word for an "arrival" or a "coming". Advent means that the Lord is coming. Jesus Christ

Advent is a time of joy tinged with penance. Joy, because we can imagine nothing more sweet than the Christ Child and His Mother Mary's bliss at His coming to light. Penance because we must strive to be properly disposed to receive so great a gift of His presence

Advent is a time of great joy, because we look forward to the beautiful feast of the Nativity, but it is joy stitched through with somber and focused spiritual preparation by doing penance

There are several “hopes” associated with Advent

The first is that of darkness changing to light. In ancient times, this was a literal, physical hope—that the days would stop getting shorter, and that the warmth of spring would return. Now we know that that was only a symbol of Christ’s coming to remove the darkness of sin

Scripture

So the Lord will comfort Zion.
He will comfort all those who live among its ruins.
He will make its desert like Eden.
He will make its wilderness like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in it,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
Pay attention to me, my people.
Open your ears to hear me, my nation.
My teachings will go out from me.
My justice will become a light for the people.
My righteousness is near.
My salvation is on the way.
I will bring justice to people
Isaiah 51: 3-5a

Arise! Shine! Your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned.
Darkness now covers the earth,
and thick darkness covers the nations.
But the Lord dawns,
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings will come to the brightness of your dawn
Isaiah 60:1-3

The prevailing hope seen in the Old Testament is that of the hope of God’s Messiah coming to save God’s people

Comfort my people! Comfort them!” says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and announce to it
that its time of hard labor is over
and its wrongs have been paid for.
It has received from the Lord double for its sins.
A voice cried in the desert:
Clear a way for the Lord.
Make a straight highway in the wilderness for our God.
Every valley will be raised.
Every mountain and hill will be lowered.
Steep places will be made level.
Rough places will be made smooth.
Then the Lord’s glory will be revealed
and all the people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken
Isaiah 40: 1-5

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit.

ADVENT WREATH BLESSING

Bless now this wreath and the candles that the symbolism the represent may become truth indeed in our lives. Make this Christmas season one of meaning, worship, and awe. We praise you and thank you for the overwhelming gift of Jesus Christ, and for your salvation.