Donate
Advent starts on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day. It marks the start of the Church’s liturgical year. In 2022, we enter Cycle A.
Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’. It’s a key time in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Lord coming into the world as the incarnate God of love.
The liturgical vestments priests wear during the season are purple, matching the candles lit on each Sunday of Advent. Purple is a colour typically associated with penance. The exception is the third Sunday – Gaudete Sunday – when priests wear pink vestments – the colour of rejoicing.
Advent has a two-fold character: for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered; and likewise when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period for devout and expectant delight.
"Advent has a two-fold character: for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered; and likewise when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period for devout and expectant delight." - Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year
The Liturgy Office for England and Wales has information, prayers and liturgical texts for the Season of Advent.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels as they include many of the same stories and similar wording.
In Cycle A, the Liturgical Cycle we observe from Advent 2022, the focus falls on St Matthew. Our Gospel readings at Sunday Mass are predominantly taken from Matthew. You can listen to the whole of St Matthew’s Gospel in audio.
Source: CBCEW
There are two downloadable resources for children below - Making a Jesse Tree and a guide to Setting up an Advent Crib, both documents have been devised by our Marriage and Family Life team and can be used at home, at school, or in our parishes.
