Today is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is often called a “Little Lent” because just like Lent, Advent is meant to be a penitential season. We have four candles on our Advent Wreath to help us count and observe the four weeks of Advent. We also see the violet and rose colors of Lent during the season of Advent because purple is a color used in the liturgy to represent repentance and sorrow for our sins. Another similarity to Lent is that we do not sing the Gloria during the Mass during Advent. The first candle on the Advent wreath – a purple one – is often called the Prophet’s Candle and symbolizes hope because Jesus is coming soon!
