Month of Advent

As you may know, we have now entered into the month of Advent which transpires on the last Sunday of November, right up until Christmas Eve. It is the preparation period that leads up to Christmas, also known as the ‘coming’ which is where the Latin word of ‘Advent’ is derived from.

At CTK we have been preparing for Christmas with prayers and liturgies, we have also started lighting our purple Advent candles. You will notice that the candles have different colours and therefore different meanings.

The first candle symbolizes hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets.

The second candle represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical colour for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is intended to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance. This final candle is known as the “Angel’s Candle,” and symbolizes peace.

Finally, the white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and lit on Christmas Eve. This candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents the life of Christ. The colour white is for purity.

To learn more about Advent and how it is celebrated by the church, you can watch our Advent liturgy on YouTube led by CTK deacon Javier Elderfield.

We would like to wish you all a calm and reflective last few weeks of Advent and a very happy holiday season!