Advent (4th Day 70)

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today is the first day of Advent (in case you didn't know). I never really knew what Advent was about, other than the season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or the season leading up to Christmas. At least, that's what I thought. So, I decided to do a search and below is what I found.

God Bless.

De Colores,
Bill
WV88

Advent originated as a period during which converts prepared themselves for baptism through instruction, prayer, fasting, and reflection, much like Lent. The length of Advent varied from three days to six weeks—six weeks being approximately 40 days, the length of time that Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry.

The Western Church
The general topic of Advent is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
In the west during the Middle Ages, Advent became a time to prepare for the Second Coming, because in those days, many people were convinced that all the signs pointed to the imminent return of Christ. In time, Advent spread throughout the western Church and became fixed at its present length. Over the last fifty years, Advent has come to anticipate the Nativity as well. For many people today, especially retailers, Advent is just a ramp-up to Christmas. In most churches, the Bible readings and sermons during Advent include prophecies of the birth of Christ, but primarily concern the Second Coming, judgment, and eternal rewards for obedient Christians.

Advent consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. If 24 December is a Sunday, it is the fourth Sunday in Advent until sundown, when the liturgical day begins, then it is Christmas Eve.

The Eastern Church
The eastern Church does not have a season of Advent, in the western sense. It retains the original forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and reflection.

Roughly speaking, the Western Church consists of Protestants, Catholics, and Anglicans. The Eastern Church consists of the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Oriental Orthodox churches, and the eastern-rite churches affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

You can find out how to make and use an Advent wreath. It’s a bit early, but see also Christmas Facts.

You can download a printable version of this page to use as a hand-out or a bulletin insert.

Other Seasons
Christmas Epiphany Lent Holy Week Easter After Pentecost

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