On Christmas Day, we light the Christ Candle. This symbolises Jesus, the Light of the World, has come. Jesus came to bring hope, peace, joy and love to a world of darkness and despair.
Would you come into a filthy manger on a dark and cold night? Would you identify with the poor and rejected in society? If you were the king, would you stoop down to be a servant?
Most likely, we would not. Yet, God’s Son did.
Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world as a helpless baby. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, was not born in a palace with servants waiting upon Him. Instead, He was born in a stable: a smelly, dark, and dirty place. He was born among the lowly and, therefore, identifies with the rejected and the poor in society.
Why? Because He loves us. Jesus chose to forsake all the glories of Heaven and enter into this world as a human being like us, just to show us that this is what love is.
We light the pink candle in the Advent wreath today, which symbolizes Joy. Joy does not equate with happiness. Rather, it is deep-rooted in peace that we can rest in God admit life’s difficulties.
Jesus came into this world as a baby. His birth was a great news of great joy because He, the Son of God, Emmanuel, came to live among us. died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Today, we can wait with joy that He will come back again for us and bring us into His eternal Kingdom.
The second Sunday of Advent pepares us of the coming Kingdom of God: one that is of peace, justice and righteousness. In God’s Kingdom, there will be no division, no disunity, no hatred. In our everyday living, God also gives us peace. Though we are living in challenging times, the peace that comes from God shows us that we are not alone. We know He is with us.
Advent (“adventus” in Latin means “coming” or “arrival”). It is the 4 Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to Christmas.
Advent invites us to reflect on the love of God for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ into this world for us. It is also a time of intentional prayers, reading the Scriptures and waiting for Jesus’ promised return to establish God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
The four candles of the Advent wreath symbolise: Hope (purple), Peace (purple), Joy (pink) , and Love (purple).
The fifth candle, symbolises Jesus Christ, will be lit on Christmas Day.
May we experience the hope, peace, joy and love of God this Advent season. 🙏🏼
Gracious God, You are our help in ages past and our hope for years to come. In the midst of fires, floods, or natural disasters, we trust in Your steadfast love.
Comfort those who have lost homes or loved ones and those who are yet to know the whereabouts of their family members. Fill them with Your peace and comfort their weary hearts with Your gentle presence.
Bless and protect the front liners: the firefighters, the police officers, the search and rescue teams, the medical personnels, the social workers, and the volunteers. Grant them wisdom, courage, and compassion, that through their rescue efforts, Your love and healing grace will be known to the world.
We pray for the leaders and the people of Hong Kong to be resilient as they rebuild the city. May they respond to the cries of the victims with generosity, protect the vulnerable, and show the love of Christ through their words and deeds.
We pray all these in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
What a beautiful promise that God has engraved (not written, which can be erased) our names on His palm. Just as engraving something means sealing something permanently, God is committed to His people.
This is an assurance that God cares for us, He watches over us, He loves us and He will not forget us.
He knows us by name – He knows us individually. He creates each of us with so much love and care.
Whatever you are going through right now, He cares for you. He is right there with you.
