Today, this 3rd Sunday of Advent, is known as Gaudete Sunday, meaning “rejoice” in Latin and comes from Philippians 4:4. Lighting this 3rd candle, Christians relax the fast to rejoice, for the promised Messiah is coming soon.
Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus” meaning arrival. St Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, used adventus as the translation of “parousia,” which in the New Testament means the Second Coming of Christ. Consequently, Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ, both in the past in His incarnation as the baby Jesus, but also in the future with His promised second coming as Christ Triumphant. Furthermore, Advent is a time to focus on His present coming to us in the Word and Sacraments. Advent marks the beginning of the new Church Year. It traditionally starts on the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day and continues for four Sundays until Christmas.
Christians in many countries have adopted various traditions of lighting candles during Advent to observe this as the time of the coming of Christ who is the light of the world. One widespread tradition is the use of an Advent wreath to mark each Sunday in the Advent season. The origin of this as an Advent tradition dates back to the Lutheran church following the Reformation. The wreath is made out of evergreens in the shape of a circle to represent eternal life. It consisted of four candles originally: three purple or blue candles to match the liturgical colors and one pink candle lit on the 3rd Sunday in Advent.
On the First Sunday of Advent, the first candle is lit, referred to as the Prophecy Candle (sometimes called the Hope Candle or Expectation Candle) in anticipation of Christ the Messiah’s coming and foretold to believers throughout the Old Testament. On the Second Sunday of Advent, the Bethlehem Candle is lit (also referred to as the Peace Candle or Preparation Candle), which reminds us of the preparation for and the place of His birth. The Third Sunday of Advent results in lighting the third candle, called the Shepherd’s Candle (or Joy Candle), which symbolizes the joyful sharing of the news of Christ’s coming and birth. On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Angel’s Candle (or Love Candle) is lit, which symbolizes fulfillment, the love God has for humanity, and the proclamation of Good News to all the world. The white candle at the center of the wreath is called the Christ Candle. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve and symbolizes that Christ, the Light of the World, has entered the darkness. The Christ Candle also reminds us that God's promise of sending His Son into the world to redeem His people had finally come to pass.
If you are looking for ideas on how to celebrate the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, know that Pastor Tim has created a booklet with ideas, questions, and some basic information.