Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming celebrations of the Holy Nativity of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus, the Only Christ. Holy Mother Church, during her liturgical year, symbolically goes through the life of the good Lord and all those beings, (from angels to people, even demons and the Evil One) that are associated with Him. Also, we celebrate the life of Christ within His Body, the Church. We are shown the mysteries of salvation and what is past, present and future for us and the whole world.
Purple is used in Advent to symbolize repentance and fasting. How often we forget the value of fasting in all its forms! The color purple also is the color of royalty, demonstrating the Kingship of Christ which we receive in our hearts with anticipation and wonder.
It is interesting to note that the Church year uses, but does not conform to the calendar year, (which also was set and promulgated by Holy Mother Church.) This is important as it shows us that God and the life of the spiritual person is held and lived outside that of the world, but uses the world for greater ends. All of this is meant to show the great truth and reason of our existence: to know, love and serve God in this life, so that we may ever be happy with Him in the next.
Oh, God of LOVE and MERCY, open our hearts to prepare for the revelation of Thy TRUTH, the Holy Incarnation of Christ Our Lord. Keep us ever mindful of the sufferings and needs of others, particularly the tortured, and help us to LOVE and have MERCY on all those souls that we encounter on our earthly pilgrimage of FAITH. In the Name and for the LOVE of Jesus, we pray with Our Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and all the Holy Church of God, Militant, Suffering and Triumphant. Amen.
