Advent Wreath Prayers

Links of Advent Wreath Prayers

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Sunday Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Second Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Third Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Fourth Week

Advent Wreath Prayers

Links of Advent Wreath Prayers

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Sunday Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Second Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Third Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Fourth Week

Advent Wreath Prayers 2

The Beginning of Advent
[On the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent, the family gathers around the wreath decorated with greens. One candle should be lit.]

Leader: We gather around our wreath to begin the celebration of Advent. Let us ask our Father in heaven to fill our hearts with grace.

Silent pause for prayer

Heavenly Father, we look forward to the celebration of Christmas and to the coming of the Lord in glory. Bless this Advent wreath and all of us. As we pray daily around it, fill us with your life and strengthen us for our daily tasks. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The First Week of Advent
[One violet candle is lit.]

Leader: Heavenly Father, as we begin this Advent, give light to our eyes and peace to our hearts. May the Lord find us watching and waiting in joy when He comes. We pray in Jesus' name.

All: Amen.

The Second Week of Advent
[Two candles are lit.]

Leader: Father in heaven, set our hearts ablaze to follow in the steps of John the Baptist. May we bring light and love to all we meet, that the darkness of sin and fear may be overcome. In Christ's name we ask this.

All: Amen.

The Third Week of Advent
[Three candles are lit.]

Leader: As we draw near to you, Lord God, keep us aware of your presence in all we do. Come with power to enlighten us by your grace, that we may live in praise and peace all our days. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Special Days of Preparation
[Traditionally, the days from December 17 to the day before Christmas have as their focus the titles of Jesus. On these days, a special Scripture passage may be read to recall these titles. Three candles are used until the Fourth Sunday of Advent, when all four candles are lit.]

December 17

Jesus, the Wisdom of God
1 Cor 1:26-31

Leader: Come, O Wisdom of God Most High, and fill our hearts with your word of truth.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 18

Jesus, the new Lawgiver
Mt 17:1-8

Leader: Come, O Giver of the Law, that we may be strengthened by your mighty power.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 19

Jesus, the Flower of Jesse
Rom 15:7-13

Leader: Come, O Flower of Jesse's Root, that we may be made fruitful witnesses of your love.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 20

Jesus, the Key of David
Rev 3:7-8

Leader: Come, O Key of David, to unlock the darkness of sin and free us by your grace.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 21

Jesus, the Radiant Dawn
Is 9:1-6

Leader: Come, O Radiant Dawn, sun of justice, and fill us with Your saving light.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 22

Jesus, the King of the Nations
Rev 19:11-16

Leader: Come, O King of the Nations, and bind us all together in the unity and peace we seek.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 23

Jesus, Emmanuel
Mt 1:18-23

Leader: Come, O Emmanuel, presence of God among us, and fill our hearts with every good gift.

All: Come Lord Jesus!

December 24

[On Christmas Eve, the wreath can be renewed with new greenery and the candles replaced with new white tapers for use during the Christmas season.]

Leader: Lord Jesus, we approach that holy moment when Your coming as man is renewed in our hearts. Give us peace and allow us to celebrate Your presence with joy, that we may some day share Your glory. We ask this of You, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as One God, now and forever.

All: Amen.

The Christmas Season
[From Christmas Day until the Baptism of the Lord, the following prayer can be used with the wreath.]

Leader: Father in heaven, you so loved us that You sent Your Son, among us as Savior and Lord. Fill us with Your blessing, that we may grow in love and continue to live our Christian faith. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Family Advent Wreath Prayers

Advent Wreath Prayers

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Sunday Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Second Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Third Week Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Fourth Week

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Fourth Week

Source: Hawaii Catholic Herald

All four candles are lighted on the fourth Sunday by the father. The prayer for the fourth week is:

Leader: Let us pray. Stir up your power and might, 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. Through Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Third Week

Source: Hawaii Catholic Herald

The mother lights three candles. The prayer for the third week is:

Leader: 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. Through Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: Second Week

Source: Hawaii Catholic Herald

Two candles are lighted on the second Sunday by the oldest child and allowed to burn as before. The prayer for the second week is:

Leader: 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 Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Week

Source: Hawaii Catholic Herald

The first week starts from the first Advent Sunday to Saturday. For the whole week in the first week of Advent, the youngest child lits the first violet candle. Leave one candle burning during the evening meal, at family prayers, or before bedtime. The family prays...

Father: Let us pray. O Lord, we ask you to stir up your power and come; that by your protection we may be saved from the dangers that threaten us because of our sins. Through Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Family Advent Wreath Prayer: First Sunday

Source: Hawaii Catholic Herald

The first Sunday of Advent falls on the first Sunday of December. On the that first Sunday of Advent, the family gathers to first bless the wreath. The Leader, usually the father, sprinkles the wreath with holy water.

Father: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

Father: Let us pray. O God, all things are made holy by your word. Pour forth your blessing upon this wreath. Grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive abundant graces from you through Christ, our Lord.

All: Amen.

Aside from the Advent prayers, pray the Christmas Novena of St. Andrew fifteen times daily before the first Sunday of Advent, starting from the feast of St. Andrew on November 30 until Christmas. This is if you have a wish that you want to come true.

Advent Wreath

Advent Wreath
Originally uploaded by Ga Music Maker

Here is Advent Wreth according to Wikipedia...

An advent wreath is a ring or set of four candles, usually made with evergreen cuttings and used for household devotion by some Christians during the season of Advent. Many churches illuminate these candles in succession through the four weeks leading up to Christmas as part of their Sunday services for Advent.

Typically, three of the candles are violet-coloured, and one is rose-coloured. Increasingly, due to changes in the Roman Catholic Church's lectionary in the United States, all four candles may be violet. When used in household devotion, one violet candle is lit on the first evening of Advent (a Sunday). On successive Sundays, the second violet candle is added, then the rose candle, and finally, the third violet candle. Some Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans use blue candles rather than violet, while some use only white candles. Purple is a colour of penitence and royalty. Some churches will use Blue, a colour of hope, in place of purple to distinguish the use of purple during Lent. Some wreaths have a larger, central fifth candle (generally white), which is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to signify Christ's birth.

The wreath is meant to represent God's eternity. The violet candles symbolize faithful expectation, and the rose candle joy and hope. In earlier times the season of Advent had stronger penitential and ascetic aspects, and a relaxation of disciplines was offered on the third Sunday of Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin for "rejoice", the first words of the Introit. This turn is reflected in the theme of rejoicing and the shift from violet to rose.

The first candle is often called the prophet's candle, and is meant to signify the hope of Jesus' arrival. The second is generally called the Bethlehem candle, reminding Christians that God appeared to them in a humble manner; Bethlehem was located in the territory of one of the least powerful tribes of Israel. The third candle is the shepherds' candle, representing the joy that more than half of Advent is over. The final candle is the angels' candle, symbolising their peace and the message of good news that they offer.

It took about 100 years until home decoration with advent wreaths became a custom in Germany. It has now spread to other countries as well. Eventually, the Advent wreath made its way into various Protestant churches and later into Catholic churches in the United States.