Week 4 of Advent

In our last week of Advent, we are invited to experience the love of Christ and share that gift with others. It is love that brings Jesus into our world and it is love that transforms our being. Advent has prepared us for the coming of Christ, and this last week brings it all together. "God so loved the world that he sent his only Son" (John 3:16). It is because of that love that we are called to be loving to the stranger, oppressed, and marginalized.

Traditionally, the fourth candle on the Advent wreath symbolizes love. Also called the “Angel’s Candle,” this final purple candle calls attention to the messenger who appears to Mary in the Gospel and reminds us that God’s love is the reason for the Incarnation.

Advent Wreath Prayer for the Fourth Week of Advent:

Father in heaven, you so loved us that You sent Your Son, among us as Savior and Lord. Fill us with Your blessing, that we may grow in love and continue to live our Christian faith.

Second only to Easter, Christmas is one of the most important days in the Church. The Nativity tells the story of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. Because there was no room at any of the inns due to the census, Jesus, the savior of the world, was born in a stable. After Jesus’s birth, Angels proclaimed him as a savior for all, and shepherds went to the stable to adore him.

In the 40 days before Christmas, the faithful participate in Advent, a time of spiritual cleansing and preparation for the birth of Jesus. 

Christmas serves as a reminder that God continues to love us, no matter what we do or who we are. It is not about acting the right way, or always doing the right thing. God’s love is constant. It is unconditional.