Why is the 3rd Advent candle pink? Rejoice!

I know many of you wonder why the third candle in the Advent wreath is a different color. Usually you see three purple ones and one pink (or rose) one. Though many traditions, including Lutherans and Methodists, have switched to blue for Advent (so it doesn't get confused with Lent) and so use simply four blue candles, many wreaths still have the 3 and 1 combo. Anyway, I recently learned that the third candle is pink/rose because the third Sunday of Advent has special significance.

You see, Advent is a season of preparation for both comings of Christ - first and second. The scripure readings assigned for the the first two Sundays focus on the second coming of Christ and are known to feature a fair amount of doom and gloom. The third Sunday, is when the tide of Advent changes. Beginning with the third Sunday, the focus turns to the first coming of Christ, and that Sunday is also known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word that means rejoice. On that Sunday we are called to rejoice because Christ has already come to the world, we are called to rejoice, not because, as the Notre Dame priest put it in his homily last week, the circumstances of our lives prompt rejoicing (they may vary greatly), but simply because God loves us. With this in mind, I am definitely in favor of the purple/pink candles instead of all blue and keeping the third Sunday distinct.

You're not interested in this part, but I'll tell you anyway. Just as the candle for that day is different, so the vestments (special garments worn by the clergy) for that day may be rose-colored instead of purple. The third Sunday of Advent is the only day of the entire Christian year where that color may be used! Therefore, a lot of priests have very expensive vestments that are only worn once each year at the most.

Highlight of a Southern California Christmas

Sunday, December 17 was the 64th annual Candlelight Carol Service at First Baptist Church of Pasadena. It is always one of the highlights of the year at FBCP, and though this is the third Christmas season since I came to Pasadena, this was the first year I had the privilege of attending the carol service. In the past, I've been back in Indiana by now, but I'm glad I wasn't this year, because the carol service really did live up to the hype. The church was gorgeous (see above), and the entire service went very well. What more can you ask for than a pipe organ, harp, piano, handbells, and choral music? It was a wonderful holiday occasion, and afterwards I went to the Olive Garden for dinner with friends. One pleasant thing was followed by another and another as I realized after dinner that I'm on Christmas break and I don't have to do anything on Monday! As for my part in the service, I sang in the choir and played handbells for the first time (which is great fun).

San Francisco

Last weekend I made my first trip to "The City by the Bay." I went with a few folks from Fuller, most of whom I did not know before, but now consider friends. I like San Francisco very much. It just figures that it costs even more to live there than L.A., which I don't like so much.

Two to go!!

I am done with the Fall 2006 Quarter! I have more than survived 16 units and now I only have two quarters of work left before graduation, which is only 183 days away.