Journey to Bethlehem- Names of Advent Candles

 CANDLE NAMES OF THE ADVENT WREATH

ADVENT WREATH

Have you ever wondered what the names of the Advent Candles are?

The Advent wreath is a circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity, on which four candles are arranged. Set on the branches of the wreath are four candles: three purple candles and one rose candle. As a whole, these candles represent the coming of the light of Christ into the world, and one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday as a part of the Advent services. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Advent Candles 

FIRST SUNDAY ADVENT PROPHECY CANDLE. 

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is known as 'the prophecy candle' in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: 

'The gospel accounts understand the virginal conception of Jesus as a divine work that surpasses all human understanding and possibility: “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit," said the angel to Joseph about Mary his fiancée. The Church sees here the fulfilment of the divine promise given through the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son." (Is 7:14)' (Para 497)

SECOND SUNDAY ADVENT BETHLEHEM CANDLE

On the second Sunday of Advent, the second purple candle is lit. This candle is known the 'Bethlehem candle', symbolising Christ's manger. It represents love.

THIRD SUNDAY ADVENT SHEPHERD'S CANDLE

On the third Sunday of Advent the rose-coloured candle is lit. This rose-coloured candle is known called the 'Shepherds' candle' and it represents joy.

FOURTH SUNDAY ADVENT ANGELS'S CANDLE

The final purple candle is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent, is known as the 'Angel's candle', and represents peace.

Celebrating with an Advent wreath during the weeks prior to Christmas is a great way to keep our minds focused on Christ.  In secular society, this time of the year is often referred to as 'the silly season'.  I hope this is not your experience, but that your Advent journey is rather one of spiritual growth as you take the journey to Bethlehem

Bible Reading Methods Part 2: Reading the bible

BIBLE READING METHODS SERIES.

READING THE BIBLE

THE BIBLE: READING THE BIBLE SERIES ICON

Welcome to the second post in the Scripture Series.

Have you ever sat down and read the Bible in a day?

Sounds impossible, but I was at my Christian Counselling seminar some years ago, and this was exactly what we did. Hot scones, with a cappuccino made all the difference at Romans Chapter 8!

KEYS TO READING THE WHOLE BIBLE

The term the ‘kingdom of God’ was explained as God’s rule over God’s people in God’s place for God’s purpose. Each book of the bible was viewed from these aspects.

In examining this definition and its relevance, it is imperative to understand that in each era, God had a rule (intention) which was vital to His people in their time and place, and as well as this, there was an overriding concern, namely God’s purpose. For example: in Genesis, God’s people were Adam and Eve who lived in God’s place called Eden. They were to follow God’s word. (See Genesis 2:16-17) and God’s purpose was through them to' fill the earth, multiply and to be masters of all that God had made'.

The kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are similar in intent. Matthew speaks of the kingdom of Heaven, whereas Mark and Luke use the Kingdom of God because of their respective communities. The central message announced by Jesus was ‘The Kingdom of God is close at hand, repent and believe the Good News’ (Mk 1:15). The ‘Kingdom of God’ in the bible normally refers to God’s active reign in the world. The Lord’s prayer contains ‘thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth’ which, if carried out in perfect submission, then the kingdom shines forth before humanity.
Whether past present or future, God’s kingly rule demands man’s obedient submission.

We are not called upon to build or establish the kingdom for ourselves, but only to seek for it and enter into it (Mk 6:33). Entry into the kingdom requires the unquestioning obedience of a child and makes absolute demands on the disciple’s loyalty and devotion. Yet submission to God’s rule is in mankind’s interest, because his kingdom, like hidden treasure or a pearl of great price is the only thing of supreme value in life.

Whilst listening to this lecture, I realised that God still has a rule for His people in our time and place and He still has a purpose, that is a rule, place and purpose for me. The light bulb went on.!!!

• ·         His rule is one of love: love for God, love for neighbour and healthy love for
   self.
• ·     His people- are all those who love Him and show by their lives the power of Christ and the Spirit made manifest by the fruits of the Spirit.
• ·         His place- is our time and place wherever we encounter God
• ·        His purpose: is to bring all peoples under His rule so that we may live with Him in eternity.

There are all sorts of bibles available and choosing one can be a challenge., but an Revised Standard Version or New Revised Standard Version is the recommended Catholic Bible. 

I started to read the bible with these above-mentioned focus questions in mind- Genesis to Revelations is never the same again. 

I encourage you to think about reading the bible in this manner and see what you think about it.

Viewing Advent through nature

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE OF ADVENT

Jacaranda Tree in Advent

Recently, my friend Sr Janet gave me this poem, which I will now share with you. There was no reference to the author at the end of the poem. It is now December, but the jacaranda trees in Australia are still blooming and laying their purple carpet.  There is a magnificent tree nearby to my house and it is the epitome of all this poem expresses.

ADVENT POEM

Advent bursts violet and beautiful

like the jacaranda tree 

on the very brink of an Australian summer.

It is a tree of contradictions, 

like this southern season of the church's year: 

green- leafed in winter, 

autumn gold in spring,

blossoming from bare trunk 

to welcome in November. 

A myriad trumpets cluster 

for short fanfares 

before it lays a purple carpet 

to greet its king who is not yet- but coming.

As we begin this second week of Advent, why not look around and view nature from an Advent perspective- I would love to hear your experience especially the northern hemisphere perspective.

Week 2 Advent Opening prayer Series

WEEK 2 ADVENT OPENING PRAYER.

The Mass: Opening Prayer Series Icon

OPENING PRAYER

The opening prayer of the Mass for the second week of Advent reads as follows:

Let us pray,

(that nothing may hinder us from receiving Christ with joy)

          God of power and mercy,

          open our hearts in welcome

            Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy,

             so that we may share his wisdom and become one with Him 

                          where He lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, 

                          one God, for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for my life during this week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What is hindering me from receiving Christ with joy?
2. How can I experience God as a God of power and mercy in my life?
3. In what areas is my heart closed to welcome Christ in my life?
4. Name the things that need to be removed that are hindering me from receiving Christ with joy?
5. Am I truly ready to share in His wisdom and become one with Him? 

 This is week 2 of Advent and the desire to change means there needs to be a co-operative action on my part with God.  Having a good look at myself- my relationship with God, my relationship with others and my relationship with myself can be scary, but at the same time liberating.  

In the Catholic Church, the beautiful Sacrament of Penance/ Reconciliation can be participated in at any time. Regular use of the Sacrament helps me grow in grace. However, in the season of Advent, it is wonderful to receive this Sacrament as we prepare for His coming.  

 If you need to feel inspired about this Sacrament, then why not have a good look at this book. I know I benefited from reading it and using its accompanying workbook in preparing for receiving this wonderful Sacrament.

What will YOUR Spirituality in Action (SIA) be this week?

I hope that we pray for each other-

let nothing hinder us from receiving Christ with joy.  

Spirituality In Action ((SIA) No 3 week 1 Advent

SPIRITUALITY IN ACTION (SIA) 

 No 3 week 1 Advent

THE ADVENT WREATH 

REVIEW OF WEEK 1 ADVENT

Well we have concluded the first week of Advent. I hope you have made some progress on your Advent journey. God looks lovingly at our efforts and He sees the progress, even if we do not. This is always comforting for us to know.

So as I close my SIA for week I of Advent, I want to review my week before I go to bed tonight. My review plan is as follows: 

• ·         Unwind and then read the Opening Prayer with an open heart before Lord.
• ·         Review the reflection questions that emerged at the beginning of the week
• ·         Give thanks for the progress of this week's journey, and acknowledge God's help
        during these little 'triumphs' of the week.
• ·         Acknowledge areas that need improvement and how to implement the change with
        God's help.
• ·         Re-read the Opening Prayer and pray it to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten me and
        give me courage to continue the journey.

The theme that that Church highlights in Week 1 Opening Prayer is to 'take Christ's coming seriously'. 

Let us continue the Advent journey, and take this theme into the coming week as the Church encourages us-

Let nothing hinder you from receiving Christ with joy.

Spirituality In Action (SIA) NO 2

Advent Wreath

Monday 30th November

Had a really early start to the day trying to catch up on important paperwork. I can become overwhelmed when I have to tackle these tasks. Decided to put my SIA of singing the advent hymn mentioned in a previous post to the test-

• I sung the hymn before I started the task- this gave me a positive outlook and confidence that I would be able to complete the task,
• I sung the refrain again a couple of times when I could feel the sense of overwhelm coming over me. The panic feeling eased.
• I sung the hymn when I had completed the task for today as best I could. I wanted to express my gratitude.

Towards the end of the day, I was able to make 'O be still and know the Lord’ tangible and attended exposition and benediction (only a half hour). I felt happy to be able to wait before the Lord as part of my advent journey.

Another highlight of the day was attempting to increase my strength for doing good when I did not become frustrated and angry in a difficult situation- I wanted to scream with frustration, but caught myself in time to challenge myself into adopting an SIA. Reminding myself of the words of the Opening Prayer was the key to changing my behaviour.

As always, it was not a perfect day- there is still plenty of personal work to be done but having a desire to change is a start and making an effort in small ways gave me a sense of progress and encouragement for the journey.

How is YOUR SIA going during this first week?

Tuesday 1 December:

Had a ghastly day- all the plans of the day had to be rethought as the perfect ones were out the window and never had a chance to develop. I am sure we have had those days. I have to say my SIA did not go well today. I did well just to get to the end of the day and was grateful that God had helped me through a tough day. So, at the end of the day, even though I was not in the mood, I sang through the advent hymn talked about in a previous post, especially the refrain:

People be not sad of heart. God will come and save us.
Be forever glad of heart, God will live among us.

The SIA challenge for the day for me then was to remain glad of heart despite the adversity. Not easy, but my efforts I suppose were not all doom. I am grateful for whatever small progress was achieved

Wed 2 December

Today is my day off- I treasure it and always feel optimistic. I had a great day until I arrived home when an emergency developed. Sitting waiting for treatment in the Emergency Dept, sitting waiting for results and waiting for admission, which occurred after midnight, sitting sleeping in a chair all night to stay with the patient, and finally waiting for discharge. 17 hours of waiting- an advent experience.

The waiting, gave me time to observe and to be still from my own personal concerns. I was on the receiving end of other people's SIA- the nurse who provided some sandwiches and tea around 10pm b/c she realised I had no tea, the nurses and doctors in the emergency dept and ward caring for the extensive medical and personal needs of others , the security guard who assisted me when I could not find my parking ticket, and that delightful lady who made me a cappuccino this morning - it was a real blessing to watch and experience. Through today's experience, God does indeed live among us through compassion and healing of others.

I hope your SIA is going well- keep you posted as the rest of the week unfolds.

Why Read the Bible Scripture Series- Bible Reading Methods Part 1

Scripture Series

‘WHY READ THE BIBLE?’

The Bible - God's love letter to us.

Welcome to my Bible four-part series.  Let us travel together on this journey as we explore important aspects of reading the bible. Let us begin with the all-important question:

Why read the Bible?

When addressing this issue on July 24 1980, the late Pope John Paul 11 gave 5 reasons for reading the Bible. He said:

1. ‘From the Word of God we learn, first and foremost the very nature of God, who is Life, Light, Love, and Trinity. No philosopher can penetrate the essence of God; only Jesus the Word Incarnate, can reveal and guarantee this fundamental truth. And because of this we are certain that there is a relationship of love between God the creator and man: every human being is an eternal heartbeat of God’s love.’

2. ‘From the Word of God we know our eternal destiny: only Jesus, with His divine word, can assure us absolutely concerning the immortality of the soul and the final resurrection of the body, as a result of which it is worthwhile being born, living, and projecting our existence beyond time towards endless happiness.’

3. ‘For the Word of God we learn where the true dignity of man lies: namely in participation in divine life itself by means of grace. True joy, real greatness and supreme dignity are found only in the life of grace. John 14:23 supports this view.’

4. ‘From the Word of God we learn how we must behave, because He reveals to us that the will of God is expressed in the moral law and in the supreme commandment of mutual love. The will of God, in fact, is the absolute determinant between good and evil, the guideline for correct behaviour and for true pedagogy’.

5. From the Word of God we know also His presence, always current and alive in time and in history, by means of the Church, willed and founded by Him which gives us certainty about the truths to believe and to practice, and offers us the Eucharist, a mystery of faith and at the same time a supreme manifestation of love’.

Have you decided on your spiritual new liturgical year resolution? Perhaps you will come to know the Lord more deeply this year through reading the Bible.

Now on a more personal note I now pose the question again in a different way- why do I read the bible?

What are YOUR reasons for reading the Bible?