When is the Advent season?
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year, Advent began Nov. 30, the start of the new liturgical year.
What is an Advent wreath?
Advent wreaths with candles are a familiar sight in Catholic churches during the liturgical season, and many Catholic families also display them at home. Traditionally, these wreaths are made from evergreen leaves, though modern designs exist as well. Their circular form represents God’s eternal love.
What do the four candles on an Advent wreath represent?
The four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent. As you light the candle(s) of your Advent wreath, reflect on the many gifts Jesus brings to our lives — including hope, faith, joy and peace — and on our Gospel call to share them with others to build a more just and peaceful world.
Prayer to Bless the Advent Wreath
God of goodness,
Bless our Advent wreath.
May its circle remind us of your infinite love
and inspire us to live as one human family.
May its evergreen branches be a sign of hope
that calls us to share with people who need it most.
May its candles illuminate peace in our hearts
and guide our hands to touch the world with compassion.
May we receive the joy of your word
and bring it to life in all corners of the earth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Weekly prayers and reflections
First Week of Advent: Lighting the candle of hope
Nov. 30-Dec. 6
Prayer to light the candle
God of goodness, we ask you to bless our Advent wreath, so that its green branches may awaken in us the desire to await the coming of Christ and encourage us to bring hope to people who need it most. Amen.
“The grace of Christ, which brings our hope of salvation to its fulfilment, leads us to cooperate with him in building an ever more just and fraternal world, a world in which every person and every creature can dwell in peace, in the harmony of God’s original creation.”
- Pope Francis, Solemnity of Mary, Most Holy Mother of God, Jan. 1, 2016
Prayer for Hope
Lord, you invite us to live in hope, and to share it with the poorest of the earth. You call us to fight poverty, especially by addressing its root causes. May the light of hope that we ignite today never be extinguished in our hearts and may it reach all those around us. Amen.
Second Week of Advent: Strengthening our faith
Dec. 7-13
Prayer to light the candle
God of goodness, we ask you to bless our Advent wreath so that its candles may be a symbol of the faith that encourages us to be witnesses of your son. Amen.
“Faith and Christian witness are presently confronted by such great challenges that only by working together will we be able effectively to serve the human family and enable the light of Christ to reach every dark corner of our hearts and of our world.”
- Pope Francis, address to the moderator and representatives of the Church of Scotland, Feb. 16, 2015
Prayer for Faith
Jesus, united in you are divinity and humanity in a single mystery of love. You have shown us that love is the measure of faith. Increase our faith so that we can no longer separate the life of godliness from service to our sisters and brothers. Do not let their voices be silent within us — give us the courage to stand up for all that is just and good. Amen.
Third Week of Advent: Rejoice
Dec. 14-20
Prayer to light the candle
God of goodness, we ask you to bless our Advent wreath, and that the sharing of our gifts at this time may be a source of joy. Amen.
“Through your joyful witness and service, help to build a civilization of love. Show, by your life, that it is worth giving your time and talents in order to attain high ideals, it is worth recognizing the dignity of each human person, and it is worth taking risks for Christ and his Gospel.”
- Pope Francis, farewell ceremony, XXVIII World Youth Day, July 28, 2013
Prayer for Joy
Lord, your angel announced to the shepherds that the Messiah had been born and gave them a sign to find him: “an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” Filled with joy, they went to seek you. Today, you give us a sign to find you through our sisters and brothers who are hungry, thirsty and seeking refuge. Help us to reach them with the joy of shepherds. Amen.
Fourth Week of Advent: Welcoming peace
Dec. 21-24
Prayer to light the candle
God of goodness, we ask you to bless our Advent wreath and pray that as we celebrate this Advent, we receive with open hearts the peace that comes from you to bring it to all corners of the earth. Amen
“Make peace in the world where there is much war, disunity, hatred and exploitation … Making peace is a bit like imitating God. When He wanted to make peace with us and forgave us, He sent His Son to make peace, to be the Prince of Peace.”
- Pope Francis, homily at Casa Santa Marta, December 4, 2018
Prayer for Peace
Lord, transform death into life, hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, and war into peace. You are our peace — through you, we implore peace for the whole world. Amen.
Courtesy of Catholic Relief Services.
