Preparing for the Coming of Lord
The days including the four Sundays before Christmas are called advent season. The first Advent Sunday is calculated as the last Sunday in the month of November. The English word advent has come from the Latin word…
വാചനങ്ങൾ
Old Testament : Hos. 10:12-15
The days including the four Sundays before Christmas are called advent season. The first Advent
Sunday is calculated as the last Sunday in the month of November. The English word advent has
come from the Latin word adventus which means ‘coming’. In Greek language the word Parousia
is used to mean the coming of Christ. During this advent season the coming of Christ is being
meditated upon. In some of the western churches four different types of candles are being lit. The
candle lighted on the first Sunday is called the candle of hope. Christmas gives a message of
hope – the people walked in darkness and have seen a great light (Is. 9:2). The candle lighted on
the second Sunday is called the candle of Bethlehem. The prophet Micah prophesied that though
Bethlehem was the smallest province of Judah, the one who would become the ruler of Israel will
come out of this place (Mic. 5:2). Bethlehem is the symbol of humility. The entrance of the nativity
church at Bethlehem is very short. One has to bow down his head and enter into it. Only through
humility one can meet the meek Jesus. Christmas is the symbol of humility and simplicity. The
candle lighted on the third Sunday is called the candle of joy. Some churches call this the candle
of shepherds also. Christmas gives the message of joy to all the people (Lk. 2:10). The fourth
candle is called the candle of the angel lighted on the fourth Sunday. The announcement of the
angel to Mary is the message for that day. Angel replied to Mary, “Nothing is impossible to God”
(Lk. 1:26-38). Christmas gives such an auspicious and optimistic message.