The word “Advent” means “reach out” and “get ready”

Like any good mother, Holy Mother Church wants her children, the faithful, to prepare for the arrival of the most special guest: Jesus Christ. It is the purpose of the season of Advent.  

Recently, Deacon Bob Quinnett taught "A Lesson on the Liturgical Calendar" at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lawton. Deacon Quinnett explained, “Advent and Lent are so different from the rest of the Church calendar. However, many people consider them the same, they are quite different. Advent should be a season of preparation, reflection and prayer.”

The Church has a myriad of feast days and traditions to help families prepare for the coming of the Christ.  

The Jesse Tree: The Jesse tree (Matthew 1:1) tells people about the ancestry of Christ through symbols and relates the Bible to salvation history. It provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between the House of David, Jesus and the Catholic Church.  

Advent wreath: The most recognized custom is the Advent wreath. It is a wreath made up of evergreens bound to a circle of wire. It symbolizes the many years, from Adam to Christ, that the world awaited its redeemer and the years that the world waited for the second and final coming of Christ. The wreath holds four candles – each lit on the four Sundays of Advent. Three are purple and one is pink or rose for Gaudete Sunday, this third Sunday of Advent symbolizing joy. The first Sunday candle is to symbolize hope, the second Sunday candle symbolizes faith or love and, finally, the fourth Sunday candle symbolizes peace.  

Our Lady of Guadalupe: No single event since the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ has converted as many people to Christianity as when, in 1531, Christ sent his mother to a hill outside Mexico City. Countless people heard the name of Christ for the first time from this apparition. The Church commemorates this feast day on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Last year, more than one million people made the pilgrimage to commemorate this important feast day in Mexico City. 

Deacon Juan Jimenez, of Saint Mary, Catholic Church in Ardmore said, “In the United States, the Hispanic community places the same importance on the feast day, however, the celebration of Advent is our priority. On the evening of Dec. 11, we will be having our annual procession, meal and special Mass to honor the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

Other feast days during Advent include the Feast of Saint Nicholas on Dec. 6, the Feast of Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, a holy day of obligation, and the Feast of Saint Lucy on Dec. 13.

Charles Albert is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.