Advent begins the Church Year on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and runs through Christmas Eve. Advent, which means coming or arrival, is a season when the Church reflects upon God’s promise to come to his people to save them. We look back to the First Advent of Jesus and look ahead to his Second Advent.
An Advent Wreath contains four candles, one for each Sunday. An additional candle is lit each Sunday, so that by the fourth Sunday all four are lit. Three of these candles are purple and one is rose. At the center is a fifth candle, the white Christ Candle, which is lit on Christmas Day. The first candle and the first Sunday represent expectation and hope and are often linked to the prophetic promises of the Old Testament. The third Sunday, represented by the rose candle, is Gaudete Sunday, and is a call to rejoice (gaudete) in anticipation of God’s imminent arrival.
Below are some readings to guide you through the season. Download pdf.
The Sunday readings are drawn from the Revised Common Lectionary Year A. Each Sunday has four readings. The Gospel is the primary reading, supported by the other three: Old Testament, Psalm (or other canticle), and Epistle. The Gospel readings progress through three major themes of Advent:
- Readiness for Christ’s second coming (Sunday 1)
- The ministry of John the Baptist in preparing the way for Jesus (2-3)
- The annunciation of the birth of Jesus (4).
The weekday readings progress through:
- God’s promises to come to his people (week 1)
- The preparatory ministry of John the Baptist (2)
- Old Testament promises of a Son (3)
- The birth of Jesus (4)
| First Sunday of Advent: Nov 30 | Weekday | readings | |
| Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37 | M T W T F S | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Isaiah 35:1-10 Isaiah 62:1-12 Zechariah 9:9-13 Jeremiah 30:1-24 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Ezekiel 37:1-28 |
| Second Sunday of Advent: Dec 7 | Weekday | readings | |
| Isaiah 40:1-11 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-23 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 | M T W T F S | 8 9 10 11 12 13 | Luke 1:5-25 Luke 1:57-80 Luke 3:1-20 John 1:1-18 John 1:19-34 Matthew 11:1-19 |
| Third Sunday of Advent: Dec 14 | Weekday | readings | |
| Isaiah 61:1-4. 8-11 Psalm 126 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28 | M T W T F S | 15 16 17 18 19 20 | Genesis 18:1-15 1 Samuel 1:1-20 1 Samuel 1:21–2:11 Isaiah 7:1-7 Isaiah 9:1-7 Isaiah 11:1-9 |
| Fourth Sunday of Advent: Dec 21 | Weekday | readings | |
| 2 Samuel 7:1-11,16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 | M T W | 22 23 24 | Luke 1:39-80 Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7 Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:8-40 |