By Sister Nancy Gilchriest, SSND
“Nancy, it's your turn!”
How happy that invitation made me as a child when my family would gather around the Advent wreath for the four Sundays of Advent.
You see, my sisters and I each would each have a turn lighting the candles, and since I was the youngest, my turn always fell on the fourth Sunday.
My smile shined as brightly as those four flames that lit our dining room.
The tradition continued through the years with various configurations of family gathered, yet, if I were present on the 4th Sunday, it was always my turn to light those candles.
The lighting of an Advent wreath is a custom that began in Germany in the 16th century among Lutherans and Catholics.
If I close my eyes, I can almost see little Caroline Gerhardinger taking her turn to light the Advent wreath with her family. I wonder which candles she would light.
I know from Blessed Theresa's writings that Advent was a holy time for her, and so, too, for our congregation:
With the first Sunday of Advent, a new church year begins.
Let us also renew our lives. ~ Letter 2781No time is more suitable for practicing humility than the holy time of Advent, in which we celebrate the mystery of the incarnation, which is and remains always a mystery of deepest humility. ~ Letter 5013
It does not matter how ornate the Advent wreath is. Each of the Advent candles represents the coming of the light of Christ into the world, as Hope the first week, Peace the second week, Joy the third week, and Love the fourth week.
Following Blessed Theresa’s invitation to renew our lives, I have been praying for the grace to be a messenger of Hope, Peace Joy, and Love this Advent season.
Whether it be in my local community room or on the New Jersey Turnpike, or anywhere in between, there are constant opportunities for me to be hopeful, peaceful, joyful and loving.
In doing that, I can make someone else’s day a little brighter, even without an Advent wreath. I just need to take my turn.
