Today we celebrated the First Sunday of Advent. There are four Sundays in this period before Christmas and four candles, usually fastened to a wreath of evergreen boughs. On each successive Sunday another candle will be lit, until all of them are glowing on the last Sunday before Christmas.
There are variations of candle colours, depending on where you celebrate. Most often there are three purple candles and a pink one. The first candle is for the Prophecy of Hope. It reminds us of the prophets who delivered messages from God foretelling the Birth of Christ. The second candle reminds us that Christ is the Way for Christians to follow, as He is the light out of the darkness. The third purple candle indicates that the only lasting Joy is through Christ. The lighter (pink) candle is for Peace. The Peace that Christ brings to the world and to the hearts of men.
On Christmas Day, a fifth candle is sometimes lit. The white pillar candle represents Christ Himself, who is born on Christmas Day.
Lighting a new candle on each of the four Sundays before Christmas helps us to focus on what the Season is all about. It's not about the commercialism and hectic hours buying things in store after store. It's about quiet time to reflect on the meaningful values, the hopes that sustain us in difficult moments.
As a child, the season of Advent was one of my favourite times of the year. Going to Sunday School in Germany and listening to the stories of the Birth of Christ and learning all the wonderful things that He did for us and all that He stood for was a source of joy for me. Learning new traditions and hymns and carols was also part of the fun.
As we draw closer to the Holidays, we sort through our favourite songs to celebrate the Season. Some people love the traditional hymns and others prefer the cheerful carols we hear everywhere we go. Let's have some fun!! I'm announcing a "Give-Away"!!!! From now until December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas, you have a chance to win one of three Christmas CD's by leaving a comment to this post. On December 6th I will place the names of all commenters in a hat and draw three names at random. But it's not enough to just leave your name. I want you to tell me very briefly the reason that makes a certain Christmas music your favourite. It can be a personal story that is very meaningful to you and explains why that piece of music is important - or special - to you. Be sure to include your full name and a functioning e-mail address in case your name is drawn! :)))
My favourite piece of music is the Prelude to the 'Te Deum' by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (c. 1645-1704). One year in the not too distant past, Rob and I decided to spend Christmas on the Mainland, in Vancouver, BC. On December 24th we boarded a Catamaran Ferry in our Inner Harbour that took us to Vancouver. It was a bumpy ride as the ocean was quite rough. We checked into our hotel and walked to a church on the next block where Midnight Mass would start more than an hour later. We knew enough to get there early or else risk standing in the aisles for the entire service!! Well, we had a treat! A full choir was singing a mix of beautiful hymns and carols. All of a sudden the clear, brass tones of a trumpet sent shivers up my spine. A soloist was playing the 'Te Deum' and the notes filled the entire space of the Church. I knew then, Christmas had come. It remains my favourite story and my favourite music. (No, don't worry, my name does NOT go into the hat)!!
Now it's your turn to share your musical choice with us all. Leave a short story in the comments under this post, up to and including December 6th. That's when I shall draw three lucky people who will receive a beautiful Christmas CD. Don't be shy!! Remember, as you think of your music, to take a moment to reflect on the true Joys of the Season.
