Advent Week 4

THE CANDLE OF LOVE

During the fourth week of Advent, we focus on Mary’s open heart as she prepares to receive the gift of Emmanuel ~ God-with-us. 

We Gather as we light the fourth purple candle of Advent – the candle of love. 

We light the fourth candle as a sign of our faith in God’s redeeming love. God’s promised Messiah is coming. He brings good news for the poor and oppressed. He will bind up broken hearts. He will proclaim release to those who are held captive. 

Loving God, 

We thank you for your gift of love - shown to us perfectly in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Help us prepare our hearts to receive Him. 

Bless us in our prayer. 

Help us to hear and do your word. 

We ask it in the name of the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus our Lord. 

Amen.

At Christmastime, we as Christians believe that God’s greatest gift of love was Jesus, the Saviour of the world. As we read the Christmas narrative in the gospels, an angel appears to Joseph telling him that he will have a son and instructing Joseph to name his son Emmanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. Jesus was born a baby, and taught us how to love by living with us on earth and being an example to us. Jesus taught us to love everyone, no matter what. He taught us to love our enemies. He taught us not to discriminate, not to label people, not to play favourites. He taught us to welcome all, to feed people who are hungry, to give clothes to those who need clothing and to give a drink of cold water to those who are thirsty. He modelled what it means to really love our neighbours as ourselves. We aim to follow in Jesus’ footsteps as we encounter each day.