The second Sunday of Advent carries a message of hope in the Christian culture. For Catholics, this is symbolized by the flaring of the flame of a purple candle, the same as the liturgical vestments, and for Protestants, a red candle.
The wreath made of evergreen symbolized the longing for light even before the appearance of Christianity, even in the pagan age, and since light is an attribute of God, this image has an extremely ancient tradition. Christian symbolism has preserved this heritage, as the Advent wreath refers to God's infinite love, and the evergreen used for decoration indicates the hope with which man turns to his creator. As we move forward with the lighting of the candles, it will become brighter around the wreath, and the increasing light shines on the approach of the coming of Jesus, who is revered as the second divine person.
With the second candle on the Advent wreath, the flame of hope flares up, which the prophet Isaiah (35:3-4) spoke of in the Bible: "Strengthen weak hands, make weak knees strong. Tell the trembling hearts, be strong, do not be afraid. Here comes your God…”
Poets also linked the idea of hope and expectation, for example, Gyula Juhász wrote in his poem A várta: "I rock all the hopes of the future, / Like the storm and the log cabin. / This is how I stand in eternal peace / And I am waiting for God, who will come down to earth.”
Since God first promised the coming of the Messiah to the Jewish people, the candle flame lit on the wreath on the second Sunday of Advent also refers to the Jewish people. For the hopeful confidence with which they awaited the coming of Immanuel, that is, the savior, for centuries. The evangelist Matthew also referred to this when he described the story of Jesus' birth.
Let's give the word to the holy author: "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the time of King Herod, behold, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem and asked: "Where is the King of the Jews who has just been born? For we saw his star when it appeared, and we have come to worship him. When King Herod heard this, restlessness seized him, and all Jerusalem with him. He called together all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ should be born. They said to him: "In Bethlehem of Judea, because the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means the least important among the princely cities of Judah, for a prince will come from you who will shepherd my people, Israel." Then Herod secretly called the wise men, asked them exactly the time of the appearance of the star, then sent them to Bethlehem and said: "Go, get accurate information about the child; and as soon as you have found him, let me know that I may also go and worship him!' After listening to the king, they set out, and behold, the star which they had seen when it appeared went before them until they arrived, and then it stopped above the place , where the child was. When they saw the star, they were very happy. They entered the house, saw the child with his mother, Mary, and fell down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, since they received a statement in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by a different route."
Let us seek the son of God in the same way as the three kings once did, and let us follow that star which, even in the darkness of the night, is able to shine the light of divine love everywhere, from the cave in Bethlehem to all the shelters.
Gyula Juhász put it all this way in his poem "Bethlehem": "His tearful eyes stare / At the star of Bethlehem, / At the good hope that surrounds / The poor, the orphans, the Hungarians!"
Cover image source: karolinaiskola.hu
