Advent is the first season in the church calendar and thus begins the new liturgical year. Its name comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming.” In the season of Advent, we prepare ourselves for the day when Christ will come again to restore all things. For this reason, Advent is one of the two seasons of penitence in the church calendar (the other is Lent). However, as we prepare for Christ’s second coming in Advent, we also remember Christ’s first coming at Christmas, which is why these two seasons follow one another in the calendar. Remembering how Jesus’ birth fulfilled God’s promises to His people encourages us that God will fulfill His promise of Jesus’ glorious return.  

During the season of Advent, we will use the Anglican Standard Text of the Eucharistic liturgy. You may notice that the wording of some prayers throughout the liturgy is a little different, especially the Prayer of Consecration. This is to mark Advent as a special and distinct season in the liturgical year.  

Additionally, you may notice a few other changes. The service will open with the Advent greeting, “Surely the Lord is coming soon.” “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” This greeting, based on the final verses of Scripture, reminds us of the purpose of Advent: to prepare for the coming of Jesus to restore all things. 

Instead of the Summary of the Law, we will recite the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) together. Since Advent is a penitential season, the Decalogue reminds us of what it means to be a people prepared for our King. Likewise, the Trisagion (meaning “Thrice Holy”) replaces the Kyrie to celebrate God’s power and holiness as we ready ourselves for His return and reign. 

Before receiving Communion, we will pray the Prayer of Humble Access and sing the “Agnus Dei” together. The Prayer of Humble Access was written for the first Book of Common Prayer based on several passages of Scripture. In keeping with the penitential spirit of Advent, it reminds us that, in Communion, Christ is the host who invites and feeds us—we don’t earn or buy our place at the table, it is given to us by grace alone. The “Agnus Dei” is an ancient hymn based on John the Baptist’s announcement of Jesus as “the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Since Advent highlights John’s ministry of preparation for Jesus’ first coming, it is particularly appropriate to say this prayer to acknowledge Jesus’ presence among us and prepare for his second coming. 

The service will close with a special Advent blessing that incorporates many of the themes of the season. 

The season of Advent has four Sundays. The liturgical color for the First, Second, and Fourth Sundays of Advent is blue. Some churches may use purple, but blue was the distinctive color used for Advent in English churches even before the Reformation. Like purple, it symbolizes penitence, in keeping with the penitential spirit of Advent, but it also is associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is a focus of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Annunciation Sunday.

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday and has its own liturgical color: rose or pink. Gaudete is a Latin word meaning “rejoice” and comes from the traditional reading for this Sunday: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ...The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:4-5). The bright rose color symbolizes that even in a season of penitence and preparation, the Church can rejoice knowing that Jesus’ coming brings redemption and restoration. Like blue, rose is also associated with Mary, making it a fitting color as we recall her joy at Jesus’ first coming.  text goes here

The Advent wreath is a beautiful way of marking the weeks of Advent. It is an evergreen wreath with five candles: four small ones on the wreath and one large one in the middle. The circular wreath symbolizes God’s never-ending love for His people, and the evergreen branches symbolize the eternal life given to us in Jesus. The candles represent Jesus as the light of the world. The four smaller ones correspond to the four Sundays of Advent. Their colors match the Sundays they represent: three are blue and one is rose. One candle will be lit each Sunday as we move through the season of Advent together. The large white candle at the center of the wreath is called the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize that Christ has come to us at Christmas, assuring us that he will come again.