Every Christian eagerly awaits Christmas, because it is a joyous season. There is a different kind of feeling. The air is different and this is the reason people wait for Christmas. It is a time to reunite families. Families who are far and wide anxiously wait for this time to meet their family members and friends.

Do you know there is time of preparation for this big day “CHRISTMAS”? We have to prepare the way and the time is called Advent. What is Advent? – Advent is a time of Expectation, waiting and preparing for the celebrations of Nativity of Jesus. Latin Word Adventus Means arrival or coming of Christ. During Advent we have four Sundays to prepare.

The first Sunday is called Advent Sunday. The fourth Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday or thanksgiving Sunday. On this Sunday the vestments are either Pink or Purple. Other two Sundays are Sundays of Hope, Peace and Love.

We prepare a wreath called a “Christmas Wreath “ and fix five candles in it, four in circular position while the middle one, white in colour is fixed in the centre. Out of the four candles the fourth one is Pink and called the thanksgiving candle. This is lit on Gaudete Sunday.

The four candles lit in circular form, signifies that, life in Christ has no end, and we are all united in Christ. The meaning of lighting these candles is to break through darkness, reminding us of the light of Christ.

The other three Purple coloured candles are representing Hope, Peace & Love. The White candle is called Christ candle and lit on the last Sunday.

The above is only about the symbolic preparation or outward preparation, which is very much in vogue and in practice.

However we have to prepare ourselves within. In order to do this we have to be spiritually prepared. Are we? We have to reconcile. Do our confessions and give away our old self and renew our lives. Are we ready for it? Only with this we can prepare a way for Christ.

And thus our Christmas can be a joyous and peaceful one and we can be merry. We can all pledge to make this Christmas a season of love and sharing.

Sharing our lives with the underprivileged. Sharing our lives with other people of different faiths. Thus making Christ known to those who still want to know Him more.

Rosarito Coelho
PPC Moderator