What Is Advent in the Bible?
Feast
The four weeks before Christmas. The Church prepares to celebrate the first coming of Jesus and renews its longing for his second coming. “Advent” means “coming.”
It can mean
- When it begins: on the Sunday that falls on November 30 or the Sunday closest to it. It ends before First Vespers of Christmas.
- The last days: from December 17 to 24 prepare more directly for Christmas.
- Its color: violet. On the third Sunday, called “Gaudete,” rose may be used.
Today
There are four Sundays. In many homes, one more candle is lit each Sunday on the Advent wreath. In Mexico and other countries, families hold las posadas, which recall the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem.
Where it appears in the Bible
Isaiah 40:3; John 3:30; Matthew 25:13
What the Bible says
Isaiah 40:3
The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God.
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
Matthew 25:13
Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catechism 524; Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 39-42; GIRM 346; Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 98-99; RAE, “adviento”