A Family Liturgy for Sundays in Advent
Advent Begins on Sunday!
While Joy of Advent’s daily readings begin on December 1st, on the first Sunday of Advent, our family begins a tradition that visually carries us through the season and compliments our Jesse Tree Celebration. Each Sunday, with a short scripture reading, song, and prayer, we light a new candle on our Advent wreath. We light the same candle(s) each evening as we celebrate Joy of Advent throughout the week as well. This year, December 1st IS the first Sunday of Advent!
Find full instructions for adding this tradition to your celebration below. All Sundays of Advent will be shared here as a resource for you. Do you want to celebrate every day throughout Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas? With your free Joy of Advent subscription, you will receive a daily email with music, art, and other resources. If you haven’t yet, subscribe!
And of course, follow along all season with our book, The Joy of Advent!
Why are Advent Candles Different Colors?
Most Advent wreaths feature three deep purple candles, one pink or rose candle, and one center white candle.
The purple candles represent both Christ’s royalty and the liturgical season of repentance and fasting. Purple is the same color used during the season of Lent (the 40 days of fasting before Easter). The pink candle is used for the Catholic Church’s Gaudette Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, and signifies joy and feasting—we’re more than halfway to Christmas!
Each Sunday, the first candle is lit, remembered, and the lighting continues until the current week. (For example, on the third Sunday of Advent we would light the first and second candles and name them, and then light the third candle. The fourth and center candles would remain unlit.)
The white candle, or Christ Candle, is often in the center of the Advent wreath. It is lit on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day the four purple and pink candles are often removed (or left unlit, since our time of waiting is now over!), and only the Christ Candle is lit, continuing throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas.
If you think the 12 Days of Christmas come before Christmas, read this!
Each candle also has a specific meaning. Traditions disagree a bit, and Pinterest-mavens often bungle the whole thing entirely (so some of the infographics are just plain inaccurate). After careful research, we’ve settled on this arrangement of the candles, which is most common and most historically accurate. When did the Advent wreath tradition begin? While wreaths of candles may have pre-Christian roots, our use was firmly established by the late Middle Ages!
Meanings of the Advent Candles
First Sunday: The purple Prophet’s Candle represents HOPE
Second Sunday: The purple Bethlehem Candle represents FAITH
Third Sunday: The pink Shepherd’s Candle represents JOY
Fourth Sunday: The purple Angel’s Candle represents PEACE
Christmas Eve: The white Christ Candle represents all of the preceding as well as Purity and the washing away of sin by Christ’s sacrifice.
Advent Wreath Candle Colors and Meanings
First Sunday: The purple Prophet’s Candle represents HOPE
Second Sunday: The purple Bethlehem Candle represents FAITH
Third Sunday: The pink Shepherd’s Candle represents JOY
Fourth Sunday: The purple Angel’s Candle represents PEACE
Christmas Eve: The white Christ Candle represents all of the preceding as well as Purity and the washing away of sin by Christ’s sacrifice.
How Do We Celebrate the Advent Wreath Each Sunday?
Confession: for most of our children's lives, we’ve focused on the Jesse Tree tradition and let the Advent wreath be a second (third? fourth?) thought. In recent years, however, we wove it thoroughly into our Jesse Tree celebration. We found the daily ritual of candle lighting and the gentle glow of candlelight shrouded our celebration with mystery and added celebration. Plus, the children eagerly awaited their turn to light (and extinguish!) the candles.
Below I’ll share what we plan to do for each Sunday evening candle-lighting.
The First Sunday of Advent
The Prophet’s Candle, which symbolizes HOPE.
Christmas Day is just one day, but there is an entire season of four weeks, that the Christians around the world have used to focus their hearts on Jesus’s birth. That season is called Advent, and it is a time of preparation and expectation. We are preparing our hearts as we wait and expectation of Christ’s birth.
Tonight we will light the first candle. Deep purple was a kingly color—purple dye was incredibly costly and purple fabric incredibly rare. Purple also symbolizes repentance, or turning away from sin and toward the heart of God. Light the candle.
This first candle reminds us that, while darkness falls early each night in a world already shrouded by shadow, there is a Light in the darkness. As it says in 2 Peter 1:21, “Prophecy never has its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (NIV). Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:2, 6
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Matthew 24: 36–37
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Let us sing together (or enjoy this video of) the carol, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. With the people of ancient Israel we expectantly Hope for God’s promised messiah to be born. As Christians, our expectation for Jesus’s birth is mingled with Hope for His second coming—at a day and an hour no one can know but God Himself. May we make our hearts ready for His return!
Pray with me: O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay. Thank You for Your promises, which give us our only Hope.
The Second Sunday of Advent
The Bethlehem Candle, which symbolizes FAITH.
Tonight we light the Prophet’s Candle, remembering to Hope in promises of the Lord given though men and women long ago.
We also light the Bethlehem Candle. This second candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s Faith as they traveled to Bethlehem, as the prophecy foretold.
Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.Luke 2:1–7
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now let’s sing (or listen to) the carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. May we have the same Faith as Mary who, when told she would be with child, said, “Let it be to me according to your word.”
Continue with the day’s reading, songs, and prayer from the book, The Joy of Advent.
The Third Sunday of Advent
The Shepherd’s Candle, which symbolizes JOY.
Tonight we light the Prophet’s Candle, remembering to Hope in promises of the Lord given though men and women long ago.
We also light the Bethlehem Candle, remembering Mary and Joseph’s Faith as they traveled to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born.
Finally, we shed the purple of preparation and reflection and light the pink candle. This third candle celebrates the Joy of the Shepherds upon hearing the news of Jesus’s birth!
Luke 2: 8–12
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Let us sing (or enjoy) the carol, While Shepherd’s Watched their Flocks. May we share in the Joy of the shepherds when they learned of Christ’s miraculous birth!
Continue with the day’s reading, songs, and prayer from the book, The Joy of Advent.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Angel’s Candle, which symbolizes PEACE.
Tonight we light the Prophet’s Candle, remembering to Hope in promises of the Lord given though men and women long ago.
We light the Bethlehem Candle, remembering Mary and Joseph’s Faith as they traveled to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born.
We also light the pink Shepherd’s Candle, remembering the Shepherds’ Joy upon hearing the news of Jesus’s birth.
Finally, we light the Angel’s Candle, once again purple as we prepare our hearts for our Savior’s arrival. Tonight we remember the Angel’s song of promise: that Christ will bring Peace to all the earth.
Luke 2:13–14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Let’s enjoy together the carol, Angels We Have Heard on High. May we model Christ by being instruments of God’s Peace and Light in this dark world.
Continue with the day’s reading, songs, and prayer from the book, The Joy of Advent.
Christmas Eve
The Christ Candle, which symbolizes the fulfillment of all the previous candles and the purity that comes through Christ’s sacrifice for us.
Tonight we light the Prophet’s Candle, remembering to Hope in promises of the Lord given though men and women long ago.
We light the Bethlehem Candle, remembering Mary and Joseph’s Faith as they traveled to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born.
We light the pink Shepherd’s Candle, remembering the Shepherds’ Joy upon hearing the news of Jesus’s birth.
We also light the purple Angel’s Candle, remembering the Angel’s song that Christ will bring Peace to all the earth.
Finally we light the center candle, white for purity and cleansing, because in this candle all the Hope of the prophets comes to pass. In this candle the Faith of Bethlehem is realized. In this candle the Shepherd’s Joy and the Angel’s Peace are made manifest in our infant Lord, Jesus Christ!
Continue with the day’s reading, songs, and prayer from the book, The Joy of Advent.
Christmas and Each Day Throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas
Remove all but the Christ Candle (or leave in place, but unlit).
We no longer light the candles of the Prophets, Bethlehem, the Shepherds or the Angels because all they have promised has come to pass. Today and each day forward we light only the Christ Candle. He is the fulfillment of the prophets’s Hope, the Faith of Bethlehem, the Joy of the Shepherds, and the Peace sung of by Angels! Jesus is the One who brings the salvation of the world!
We then continue with the day’s reading, songs, and prayer from the Joy of Advent Daily Readings.
Thank you for joining us this season! If you ever have questions, prayer requests, or would like to reach out, simply email us, leave a comment below, or contact us through our website! We would love to hear from you.
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