As we approach the second Sunday of Advent, my thoughts return to the Advent Song by Mary Lu Walker.  In my previous church we sang this song as we celebrated this special liturgical season of Advent which means “Coming” in Latin.  Each week as the new candle was lit and the Advent reading was delivered, we would sing a new verse of this song focusing on each facet of Advent.  The first verse was dedicated to everyone’s preparation for this season. The second verse focused on the shepherds delight in seeing the beautiful star of the East while tending their sheep.

The chorus following each verse echoes the words, “Candle, candle, burning bright, shining in the cold winter night. Candle, candle, burning bright, fill our hearts with Christmas light”.  Of course, the verses that follow build on the previous one, prompting us to reflect upon the beautiful music of the angels singing, and the donkey, sheep and cow that inhabited the stable with Joseph and Mary during the blessed birth of Jesus. 

Each candle is symbolic of a different but significant aspect of Advent.  Individually, each part illuminates its own importance to the story. When that final candle is lit on Christmas Eve, it signifies the birth of Jesus, the Light of the world. The final verse is sung in celebration of this event.  God loves us and showed us this in the most profound way through the birth of Jesus over 2000 years ago on that cold winter night in Bethlehem.  JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!  Let us keep that front and center in our minds as we move forward this December and throughout our lives and rejoice in the knowledge we are loved unconditionally.

Patty Willoughby