The Symbols of Advent

Suddenly the church is alive with Advent colors and seasonal rituals that have my two boys open-eyed and attentive at Mass. They know Christmas is on the horizon.

The familiar green vestments have been replaced by violet, and a purple cloth now rests on the altar. A wreath hangs on a candelabra which holds four thick, fresh candles, and in the corner of the church, the Giving Tree is festooned with tags bearing requests for gifts.

Seeing the tree, my 6-year-old said, with a mischievous grin that told me he knew better, "Is it Christmas yet?"

"No," I replied, "that tree is for us to give gifts not to receive them." I was going to explain how Advent is a time of waiting, but his eye had already moved on.

"What is that pink candle for?" he continued, pointing to the different Advent candle amid the three purple ones. I could have gone on about Gaudete Sunday and the past penitential tone of Advent, but decided to keep it simple. "The pink is for the Third Sunday of Advent – it tells us Christmas is near." He liked the sound of that.

I added, "We’re going to light one of the candles as a family next week at the 10:30 Mass."

"The pink one?" he asked, hopefully, no doubt thinking that would mean Christmas was coming quickly.

"No," I said, sorry to disappoint. "The second purple one."

My 10-year-old Cub Scout listened to our conversation with a sense of satisfaction. He patted his little brother on the head to indicate that he already knew the meaning of all the symbols of the season. He had gotten up earlier with me this First Sunday of Advent for the 7:30 a.m. Mass – a miracle for the boy I have to drag out of bed for school – so he could join his Pack selling wreaths outside the church. He was the high-earner for the morning, so he was feeling good, dressed in his Scout shirt and badges galore. He didn’t even complain about going back to church to attend the 10:30 Mass with my wife and younger son.

As the organ blasted the opening notes and the choir began the hymn, I thanked God – Jesus in the tabernacle – for the beauty of the Catholic faith, which is deep enough to employ the world’s great theologians and simple enough to capture the heart of a child.