Today is the second Sunday of Advent.

Advent begins on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30th) and ends on December 24th. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘approach’. After the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, God promised to send a redeemer. God’s people waited thousands of years for this promise to come true and we still experience this same longing for the coming of Christ even today! The second candle on the Advent wreath – a purple one – is often called the Bethlehem Candle. It is often said to symbolize Faith through the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.