The Advent Wreath

   Yesterday  when  Father Bill Crowley, the pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle parish  in Coeur d Alene   lighted the  first candle on the Advent wreath ,  I thought about  its significance , and how it helps Christians deepen our appreciation of Christmas , helping all who participate to anticipate, and prepare spiritually  for the coming of    the Lord.  I was also reminded of my  youth where I attended St. Rose of Lima parochial school  in the small Los Angeles  suburb of   Maywood, California during the 1950's and 60's.

    It was a time when southern California colors were vivid and bright, not yet hazed over in a constant veil of smog , and the landscape  still dotted with orange groves and dairy farms. St. Rose of Lima school, built in 1933 was a Spanish style two story structure with a red tile roof  and triple arched portico's off to the side of the front entrance. The architecture  gave way to the rich Hispanic heritage of southern California , and seemed both grand and humble as it stood among a neighborhood  of modest homes with well groomed front yards.

    Upon entering through a pair of massive wood doors at the front of the school, students  grades one through eight  stepped into a protected,  and disciplined environment dedicated to religious and academic studies.  It  was on the ground floor, in the long hall   that   the entire student body would gather every Wednesday afternoon for the the lighting of the Advent Wreath during the four weeks of Advent.   The wreath  hung from  the vaulted  ceiling, and was larger than any wreath I've seen to this day.  The janitor, who was ever present around the school, making sure the toilets flushed properly, and floors were cleaned, constructed a rope pulley that allowed the wreath to be raised and lowered  to make the candles easier for one of the older students to  light;  I recall  the  thick  lush, green branches , and how beautiful they were,   and the scent of   a fresh wintry mountain smell that permeated the hall.  It's a smell familiar  from the wooded area I live in today, far from my southern California roots, and am reminded of  that time long ago, and what the evergreen branches  circled around the wreath represent - continuous life.

    My grade school days are long past, but  I  happily  remember the good  Sisters of Notre Dame, wearing  traditional habits,  that included  a black tunic, white Wimple  and Rosary beads hanging from their cincture, and how they  read   scripture passages aloud  from Isiah, then lead us into prayer, and  helped us understand about the Advent Wreath and its meaning  to our spiritual life.  We learned what the four candles; three purple,  and one pink - the base of each candle  nestled into the evergreen branches represented.   The purple candles signify prayer and penance; dark days of waiting. The pink candle, lit on the third week of Advent is a sign of hope that the long wait is almost over - the birth of the Messiah is near.

    Even now, if I  look closely through  memory's eye, I can almost  see Sister Mary Angelista blow into her small round pitch pipe alerting 250  uniformed boys and girls it was time to sing, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" , and smile. Giving thanks for the blessing of that time, and what it means to me today.



  ***Note: The word Advent is derived from the Latin adventus  meaning arrival, approach, coming.