Advent Wreath

Advent Wreath.
It is the custom in many churches to light the candles on the wreath gradually on the Sundays of Advent. One candle is normally pink. I have heard two opinions regarding when the pink is first lit,Advent 3 to match possible use of pink as a liturgical colour and mid point of the season, Advent 4 as a colour for Our Lady who is themed on that Sunday. Where can I find official guidance as to which is correct?
Stephen Attenborough
Chapter of St John the Divine

REPLIES

Fr. Andrew Poole 11/12/04

This might prove useful http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06394b.htm
Fr. Andrew

Wilfred Reynolds 11/12/04

I searched the web for Advent Wreath and found several articles, two I have added below:-

The colours of the candles vary with different traditions, but there are usually three purple or blue candles, corresponding to the sanctuary colours of Advent, and one pink or rose candle. One of the purple candles is lighted the first Sunday of Advent, a Scripture is read, a short devotional or reading is given, and a prayer offered. On subsequent Sundays, previous candles are relighted with an additional one lighted. The pink candle is lighted on the third Sunday of Advent.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A tradition is that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Saviour. Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead.

Yours in His service,

Wilfred.
Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary

Chapter of the Holy Nativity, Devon

Anon 11/12/04

As far as I am aware the pink candle is for Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday and not for Advent 4

Fr. Giles Pinnock 11/12/04

The Advent Wreath has five candles: three purple, one pink and one white. They are first lit on each of the Sundays of Advent and at the principal Mass of Christmas as follows. Advent 1 - purple - for the patriarchs; Advent 2 - purple - for the prophets; Advent 3 - pink - for John the Baptist; Advent 4 - purple (I've not come across a different colour for this Sunday) - for Our Lady; and Christmas - white - for the Lord. Once lit, they are each then lit again for the remaining Sundays so that on Christmas day all are lit. They may be in either a circular or stepped arrangement (cf. a Menorah), but the white candle for the Lord should be highest/central/most prominent.

The three purple candles represent the generally penitential character of the Advent season.

The pink of the third candle indicates that Advent 3 is regarded as a less solemn Sunday, on which we shout for joy at the imminent coming of the Saviour. The Introit for the Mass for this Sunday begins 'Rejoice in the Lord always'. In Latin, this is 'Gaudete in Domino semper', from which this Sunday is Traditionally called Gaudete Sunday. The customary wearing of rose-pink vestments on this Sunday, and on the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday), is derived from the now-ended custom of the Pope distributing roses on these days.

The white fifth candle of Christmas sets it apart as symbolising the birth of the Lord.

The Promise of His Glory has useful resources for the blessing and lighting of each new candle at the Parish Mass on each of the Sundays of Advent and at Christmas. The patriarchs-prophets-John the Baptist-Our Lady-the Lord themes can be useful for homilies on the Sundays of Advent and at Christmas.

Fr Giles Pinnock SSC
Fr. Giles Pinnock

Revd. Dr R Stephen 14/12/04

Mgr Peter Elliott in "Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite" (Ignatius Press) states that Violet is the colour of Advent, but Rose may be worn on the 3rd Sunday (taking care that the colour is not reduced to an effeminate pink!)

Revd Dr R Stephen

Geoff - 15/12/04

The progression sequence as we know it is 3 purple first,Pink for our lady & white on midnight Mass (for Jesus)
Geoff All Saints Skelton Cleveland

John - 10/5/05

Greetings,

Fr Giles has it correct about the candles, With regards to the use of different colours in the candles there is some truth to this, there is a growing usage a more blue purple in advent to the use of the violet purple in lent in order to distinguish the seasons from one another. there is more information about some of this material on this website
(which is admittedly a protestant one) http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

With regards to the actual wreath, it is a Lutheran tradition, and I believe in some ways it would be good to follow the tradition more closely. The more complete tradition has the coloured candles replaced after Christmas Eve, with white ones, which are then lit until epiphany at services. I would just wonder how one would achieve this liturgically.

John (server)
St Gregory's Latin Mass Community, Queensland.

James Macdonald - 17/9/07

Surely the rose or pink candle is lit on Advent lV (Our Lady) but has
nothing to do with Gaudete Sunday Advent lll when the vestments are
rose.

Please tell me I'm right we nearly had a schism about this a few years
ago!

James Macdonald
Head Server
St Michael and All Angels Barnes SW London

Fr. David Moore - 18/9/07

I am certain that the rose pink candle should be in place to be lit on Advent 3.....'Gaudete Sunday'....called such because the Introit is (still) 'Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico,gaudete........'The mention of Our Lady in the Gospel on Advent 4 is modern. The Gospel used to be the clarion call to repentance from the mouth of John Baptist from S.Luke ~ Chapter 3......to my mind very appropriate as we prepare to receive the Holy Sacrament at Christmass....by going to our Confession?

Fr.David Moore,

Warden

Fr. Ray - 19/9/07

There is no question that the rose pink candle should be lit on Advent III. Rose vestments, rose candle. The same logic is applied as to the purple and white candles. They all match the colour of the day.

Fr Ray