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Advent Wreath Ceremony for Use in the Home Blessing of the Wreath: Parent: Our help is in the Name of the Lord. Family Members: Who made heaven and the earth. Parent: Let us pray: O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth your blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from you abundant graces, through Christ our Lord. Family Members: Amen. S/he makes the sign of the cross over the wreath. Then the youngest child lights the first candle, and the prayer for the first week of Advent is said: Parent: Let us pray: Stir up your might, we beg you, O Lord, and come, so that we may escape through your protection and be saved by your help from the dangers that threaten us because of our sins. We pray to you who lives and reigns forever. Family Members: Amen. During the first week one candle is left burning during the evening meal, at prayers or at bedtime. Two candles are lighted on the second Sunday and allowed to burn as before. The prayer for the week is: Parent: Let us pray: O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for your only-begotten Son, that through his coming we may be made worthy to serve you with pure souls, through the same Christ our Lord. Family Members: Amen. Three candles, including the rose candle, are lighted on Gaudete, the third Sunday, and during that week. The following prayer is said: Parent: Let us pray: We humbly beg you, O Lord, to listen to our prayers; and by the grace of your coming bring light into our darkened minds, you who lives and reigns forever and ever. Family Members: Amen. All four candles are lighted on the fourth Sunday and allowed to burn as before. The prayer for the fourth week is: Parent: Let us pray: Stir up your might, we pray you, O Lord, and come; rescue us through your great strength so that salvation, which has been hindered by our sins, may be hastened by the grace of your gentle mercy, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Family Members: Amen. History of the Advent Wreath: German in origin-it was taken, so we are told, from the pagan fire wheel-the Advent Wreath represents the cycle of thousands of years from Adam to Christ during which the world awaited the coming of a Redeemer. It also represents the cycle of years since then that we have been awaiting Christ's second and final coming in glory. It bears four candles, equally spaced, three purple ones to be lighted on the "penitential" Sundays, and a rose colored one for Gaudete, the joyful third Sunday in Advent. Candles may be replaced as needed during the season. Advent begins Sunday, December 2, 2007. For the Christmas Season: At the end of Advent, candles and ribbons are changed to white, evergreens renewed if necessary, and tiny Christmas bells added to decorate the wreath (if desired). The wreath is usually kept, like all Christmas decorations, until 12th night (The Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th). Copyright © 2007 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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