Catholic Traditions alive & well: The Blessing of the Advent Wreath
Posted by David Werling
(From Catholic Tradition.)
For use in the Catholic home.
Father or Head of Household: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who hath made Heaven and earth.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Father: Let us pray. O God, by Whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Through Christ Our Lord.
All: Amen.
(Sprinkles wreath with holy water.)___________________________________________________________________________________________
The father reads the prayer or the chosen Scripture passage [usually the lesson from the corresponding Sunday of Advent] for the first week, then holds up the youngest child to light the first candle, which is also lighted all through the week when the family gathers in the room with the wreath._______________________________________________________________________________________
Two candles are lit by the oldest child the second week, three the third by the mother, four the fourth by the father. You may select the Advent Sunday Collects from the traditional Roman Missal.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In families where there are many children it is impossible to satisfy all who want to light candles since there are only four Sundays in Advent. They can take turns lighting the candles during the week. They are never lighted unless an adult is present. Every week as another candle is lit, the light around the wreath grows bigger which means that the birthday of the Light of the World is coming soon. On Christmas Day many families place a white candle, for Christ, in the center of the wreath. [In my family, we call this the "Jesus Candle", and it is used after Christmas season as the center piece for our dinning room table.]___________________________________________________________________________________________
Another Advent Wreath Ritual for the home from Fisheaters.
The Day Before Advent Blessing of the Wreath
Father: O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Sunday of Advent
As Mother lights the 1st candle
Scripture (John 1:1-5; Psalm 49:2-5, 71:2-8, 8-15)
Father: In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God: and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life: and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Out of Sion the loveliness of his beauty. God shall come manifestly: our God shall come, and shall not keep silence. A fire shall burn before him: and a mighty tempest shall be round about him. He shall call heaven from above, and the earth, to judge his people. Gather ye together his saints to him: who set his covenant before sacrifices.
The rest here Ars Orandi arsorandi.blogspot.com/…/the-blessing-of…
