First Sunday of Advent 

December 01, 2024 

To All the Advent Friends of the Parish of Epiphany of the Lord 

The First Purple Candle: Leading Us towards the Future of a Creative Hope We also are in a certain way in a season of a new Advent, a season of expectation: in many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by the Son [Hebrews 1:1-2], his Word, who became man and was born of the Virgin Mary. This act of redemption marked the high point of the history of man within Gods loving plan. God entered the history of humanity and, as a man, became an actor in that history, one of the thousands of millions of human beings but at the same time Unique! Through the Incarnation God gave human life the dimension that he intended man to have from his first beginning. (Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis, Paragraph No.1.) 

The English word Advent, deriving from the Latin verb advenire, means to come and advenire is also the root of the Latin word adventus, which means to arrive or arrival, which is a translation of the Greek word Parousia. 

The season of Advent has a two-fold purpose: firstly, to remind us of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the arrival of Christ in our hearts, in the world, and God’s extraordinary plan for our salvation; and secondly, to ready us for Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time as King and Judge of creation. 

The most significant tradition of the Advent season is the four-candle Advent Wreath. What does the Advent Wreath symbolize? The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the eternal life we find in Christ. Even the individual evergreens that make up the wreath have their own meanings that can be adapted to our faith. The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering. The pine, holly, and yew signify immortality and the cedar signifies strength and healing. The pine cones that decorate the wreath symbolize life and resurrection. The wreath as a whole is meant to remind us of both the immortality of our souls and God’s promise of everlasting life to us through 

The candles also have their own special significance. The four colored candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one additional candle is lit each Sunday. The flames of candles are a representation of the Christmas light approaching, bringing hope and peace in the struggle against darkness. The first candle that is lit on the First Sunday of Advent, which is the color purple, symbolizes hope. It is sometimes called the Prophecy Candle in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah. 

I express a deep sense of gratitude to all our parishioners of Epiphany of the Lord who are engaged in preparing the Advent wreath and the Christmas Basket Program. God bless them all. The First Candle of Hope is leading us towards the Creative New Future in Christ through the above Christmas Programs. 

Dear Parishioners, in the Gospel for this first Sunday of Advent, Jesus warns his disciples at the beginning of the passage: Be Watchful! Be alert! (Matthew 24:45–51, Mark 13:34–37, and Luke 12:35–48), and again at the end: What I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:37). This question is important because we need to clarify what we are watching for so we do not miss the whole point of the Advent Season, namely: God enters the history of humanity and, as a man, becomes an actor in that history, one of the thousands of millions of human beings but at the same time Unique, which is the high point of the history of man. 

Dear Advent Friends of the Parish of Epiphany of the Lord: What are we watching for and waiting for? I would suggest that the answer is contained in the initial proclamation of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark: The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news (Mark 1:15). What we are really waiting for is the deeper faith realization that the birth of Jesus Christ in time is really Good News. It was good news for the shepherds and over two thousand years later it is the same for us. And what was the good news to the shepherds: To you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord (Luke 2:11). 

* Hence, we, as one believing community of the Parish of Epiphany of the Lord, could resolve to do the following concrete gestures: 

* Holy Eucharist: Participate without fail in the daily celebration of the Holy Masses celebrated in the Epiphany Parish during this Advent-2024. 

* Prayer: Set aside time each day to pray, reflect, and listen to God. You can also keep an Advent devotional or pray each night as you light your Advent wreath. 

* Advent Wreath: Place an Advent Wreath in a prominent spot in your home as a reminder of anticipation. Each candle on the wreath represents a theme for each week of Advent, such as hope, peace, joy, and love. 

*Confession: Make a trip to confession to prepare your heart to receive Jesus at Christmas. 

*Nativity Scene: Set up a Nativity Scene (A Crib) in your home and bless it with a parent or family member. 

*Christmas Basket Program: Participate in the Christmas Basket Program of our Epiphany Parish to bring joy to the families and children of our Parish who are less fortunate than you. 

* Acts of Compassion: Join your hands with the others of our Epiphany Parish in acts of charity, mercy, compassion, justice, and reconciliation. 

* Family Rosary: Incorporate a Family Rosary into your week to draw closer to Jesus. 

* Daily Rituals: Use an Advent calendar and read the daily Gospel reading. Read your Advent daily reflection book. 

My dear Advent Friends of the Parish of Epiphany of the Lord We would like to extend a very warm and affectionate welcome to our beloved Bishop Daniel E. Thomas to our Parish of Epiphany of the Lord on this First Sunday of Advent. He will be the Main Celebrant for the Mass of Installation at 9.30 am at St. Stephen. 

I wish each and every one of the families of our Parish a fruitful, prayerful and a meaningful beginning of the Season of Advent and a faith-filled preparation for the forthcoming celebration of Christmas-2024. 

Your Advent Friends, 
Fr. John Peter Lazaar SAC, & Fr. Clement Sahaya Anand SAC