For most people, when their calendar flips to December, it means the beginning of the countdown to Christmas, but for others, it marks the start of a new year in the liturgical calendar. Advent is the start of a new liturgical year, which allows individuals to practice waiting as they anticipate the birth of Christ, the feast of Christmas, and to see how God shows up in their lives. This year, Advent started on December 3rd and will continue for four weeks, ending on December 24th, the day right before the big feast. 

“I think Advent is a way of preparing for God, but also seeing where God is already present everyday,” Director of Campus Ministry Mary Kate Becker said.  

There are two main colors that the Catholic Church uses to represent Advent, purple and pink, yet some churches use dark blue, white, and even gold to celebrate the special season. Purple is a color of royalty and demonstrates the expectation of the coming of a King, whereas pink is a color of joy and love indicating the joy Jesus will bring into the world.

 Most of the time you will see individuals use candles to represent the four weeks of the Advent season. The theme of the first week is hope, usually portrayed with a purple candle. The second week has the theme of peace, also indicated by a purple candle. The theme of the third week is joy, which instead of a purple candle is represented by a pink candle. Finally, the last week of Advent has the theme of love and is identified by a purple candle.

“Advent is a time of giving and thinking about how you can help other people out,” senior Hannah Kennedy said.   

You may be wondering, how can I participate in Advent? At Mercy, students are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there are advent wreaths displayed around the school, and there are daily prayers that are devoted to the season of giving. There is also a Taize prayer service, where Mercy students partner with U of D students in order to pray and contemplate the season of Advent. Outside of school, students can participate in different types of fasting and get involved with their own spiritual lives, whether that means participating in church activities more often or even making a dedication that you will go to church every Sunday for the next four Sundays.

“I really love Advent. I think it is a good practice of waiting and contemplating the mystery of God, mystery of Jesus’ birth, and the mystery of the unknown,” Becker said.