What is Advent?
Advent: A Season of Hope and Preparation
In the Episcopal Church, Advent is a time of joyful anticipation and spiritual preparation for Christmas. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and marks the start of the church’s liturgical year. During Advent, we invite you to join us in reflecting on the hope, peace, joy, and love that Christ brings.
What Advent Means to Us:
A Season of Expectation: Advent is a time to remember Jesus' birth and look forward to his promised return. We reflect on God's love and prepare our hearts to receive Christ anew.
Lighting the Advent Wreath: Each Sunday, we light a new candle on the Advent wreath. These candles represent hope, peace, joy, and love—the gifts of the season. As the light grows brighter each week, we’re reminded of Christ’s light breaking through the darkness.
Prayer and Reflection: Advent is a time to pause, pray, and reflect. We seek to realign our lives with God’s love and consider how we can live out Christ’s teachings more fully.
A Season of Simplicity: In our church, you’ll notice simple decorations and the colors purple or blue, symbolizing both anticipation and reverence. This simplicity helps us focus on the deeper meaning of the season.
We invite you to join us this Advent as we prepare for the joyous celebration of Christmas and open our hearts to the hope and love of Christ.