Second Sunday of Advent for Catholics

The word “adventus” itself is translated from Latin as “arrival”, “coming”. Four weeks before Christmas, which in many countries is celebrated on December 25, the Great Nativity Fast begins, and the time spent waiting for the main holiday of believers is called Advent. An indispensable characteristic feature of Advent is the rounded Advent wreath, which traditionally consists of evergreens, as a symbol of eternal life. During this period, Christians devote every Sunday morning to lighting candles on a wreath, of which there are four - one for the week. Three of them, according to the color of the vestments and the decoration of the church during Lent and Advent, should be purple or light blue. These royal colors symbolize the spirit of prayer and repentance. Another candle – pink – corresponds to the color of the liturgical service on the third Sunday and is called “Gaudete!” (“Rejoice!”). Traditionally, the first candle on the wreath is lit by the youngest child, and the fourth by the head of the family. Breakfast these days usually begins with some goodies that are unusual for other times of the year. These small family celebrations on Sundays brighten up the darkest and coldest days of the year for believers. Europeans, for example, celebrate all four Advents, visiting family and friends, visiting holiday markets, and preparing gifts for Christmas. The Old Testament, which described the coming of the Savior into the hearts of people through the Word of God, is the symbol for the first candle in the wreath: the Candle of Prophecy. On the second Sunday of anticipation of Christmas, the second Advent candle is lit: the Bethlehem candle. It is lit together with the first one, and it symbolizes preparations for the meeting of Jesus, the Son of God, and is also an unspoken recommendation to remember the journey of Joseph and the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem. The Gospel of Luke mentions why the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. By decree of Emperor Augustus, a population census was undertaken. Every Jew was required to register in his hometown. And since the carpenter Joseph came from the family of David, he and the pregnant Mary had to undertake this dangerous journey to Bethlehem, the city of David. The time of the Bethlehem candle is a time of cleansing of hearts, repentance and forgiveness. The bright symbol of the meeting of the Christ Child is also called the Candle of Love.