Editing Advent (section)

== Four Sundays ==
{| class="wikitable" style="align:left;margin-left:2em;text-align:center;"
|-
|+ {{big|Dates for the four Sundays of Advent}}{{pb}}{{LASTYEAR|4}}–{{NEXTYEAR|4}}
|-
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| [[Advent Sunday|1st]]
! scope="col"| 2nd
! scope="col"| [[Gaudete Sunday|3rd]]
! scope="col"| 4th
|-
! scope="row"| {{LASTYEAR|4}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|4}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|4}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|4}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|4}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{LASTYEAR|3}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|3}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|3}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|3}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|3}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{LASTYEAR|2}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|2}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|2}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|2}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR|2}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{LASTYEAR}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{LASTYEAR}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row" style="background-color:gold" | {{CURRENTYEAR}}
| scope="row" style="background-color:gold" | {{Weekday after date|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| scope="row" style="background-color:gold" | {{Weekday after date|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| scope="row" style="background-color:gold" | {{Weekday after date|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| scope="row" style="background-color:gold" | {{Weekday after date|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{NEXTYEAR}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{NEXTYEAR|2}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|2}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|2}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|2}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|2}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{NEXTYEAR|3}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|3}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|3}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|3}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|3}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{NEXTYEAR|4}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|4}}|November|26|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|4}}|December|3|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|4}}|December|10|Sunday|j F}}
| {{Weekday after date|{{NEXTYEAR|4}}|December|17|Sunday|j F}}
|}

=== Roman Catholic Church ===
[[File:Portschach Adventkranz privat 26222013 816.jpg|thumb|Advent candles]]
{{Main|Advent Mass}}

In the [[Roman Rite]] of the [[Catholic Church]], the readings of Mass on the Sundays of Advent have distinct themes:<ref name=FJ>{{cite web |first=Felix |last=Just |date=4 May 2018 |title=Resources for liturgy and prayer for the seasons of Advent and Christmas |department=Lectionary |website=Catholic-resources.org |url=http://catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Seasons-Advent-Christmas.htm |access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref>

*First Sunday in Advent: On the First Sunday ([[Advent Sunday]]), they look forward to the [[Second Coming]] of Christ.
*Second Sunday in Advent: On the Second Sunday, the Gospel reading recalls the preaching of [[John the Baptist]], who came to "prepare the way of the Lord"; the other readings have associated themes.
*Third Sunday in Advent: On the Third Sunday ("[[Gaudete Sunday]]"), the Gospel reading is again about John the Baptist, the other readings about the joy associated with the coming of the Saviour.
*Fourth Sunday in Advent: On the Fourth Sunday, the Gospel reading is about the events involving Mary and Joseph that led directly to the birth of Jesus, while the other readings are related to these.

=== Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist traditions ===
[[File:Celtic cross in memorial garden.jpg|thumb|Celtic cross in memorial garden, Bon Air Presbyterian Church, Virginia, with Advent [[wreath]]s decorating the gates]]

A variety of practices derived from the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman rite]] are observed in various protestant churches which retain similar liturgical practices.<ref name=StPaulsLuth-Advent>{{cite web |title=Advent |website=stpaulskingsville.org |publisher=St. Paul's Lutheran Church |place=Kingsville, MD |url=http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/advent.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317153104/http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/advent.htm |archive-date=17 March 2013 }}</ref><ref name=ELCA-FAQ>{{cite web |series=Growing in faith |title= Advent wreath |type=FAQ |publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] |url=http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship/Learning-Center/FAQs/Advent-Wreath.aspx}}</ref>

*Last Sunday before Advent: In the Roman Catholic Church since 1969, and in most [[Anglican church]]es since at least 2000, the Sunday before Advent (the final Sunday of the [[liturgical year]]) is celebrated as the [[Feast of Christ the King]]. This feast is now also widely observed in many Protestant churches, sometimes as the ''Reign of Christ''.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
*First Sunday in Advent: The readings for the first Sunday in Advent relate to the Old Testament patriarchs who were Christ's ancestors, so some call the first Advent candle that of hope.
*Second Sunday in Advent: The readings for the second Sunday concern Christ's birth in Bethlehem and other prophecies, so the candle may be called the "Bethlehem candle", the "way candle", or the "prophets' candle".
*Third Sunday in Advent: The third Sunday, called {{lang|la|Gaudete}} Sunday after the first word of the introit (Philippians 4:4), is celebrated with rose-coloured vestments similar to Laetare Sunday at the middle point of Lent. The readings relate to [[John the Baptist]], and the rose-coloured candle may be called the "joy candle", "Mary candle", or "shepherds' candle".{{efn|In the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|U.S. Episcopal Church]], the [[collect]] "Stir up" (the first words of the collect) may be read during the third Sunday in Advent, although before the 1979 revision of the [[Book of Common Prayer]] it was sometimes read in the first Sunday in Advent. Even earlier, "stir-up Sunday" was once jocularly associated with the stirring of the Christmas [[mincemeat]], begun before Advent, since the phrase "stir up" occurs at the start of the collect for the last Sunday before Advent in the old [[Book of Common Prayer (1662)|1662 ''Book of Common Prayer'']].<ref>{{cite dictionary |dictionary=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |title={{grey|[no title cited]}} |edition=second |year=1989 |orig-year=1917 (first published in ''New English Dictionary'')}}</ref>}}
*Fourth Sunday in Advent: The readings for the fourth Sunday relate to the annunciation of Christ's birth, for which the {{lang|la|[[Magnificat]]}} or "Song of Mary" may be featured. The candle may be known as the "angel's candle".
*First Sunday after Advent: Where an Advent wreath includes a fifth candle, it is known as the "Christ candle" and is lit during the Christmas Eve service.

=== Other weekly theme variations ===
Other variations of the themes celebrated on each of the four Sundays include:
* The Prophets' Candle, symbolizing hope; the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizing faith; the Shepherds' Candle, symbolizing joy; the Angel's Candle, symbolizing peace<ref name=FJ />
* Hope–Love–Joy–Peace<ref>{{cite book |title=Hope, Love, Joy, Peace: An Advent study guide |year=2019 |publisher=World Vision, Inc. |type=study guide  |url=https://bloqs.s3.amazonaws.com/200-200/2029_HopeLoveJoyPeaceAdventAdultStudyFINAL.pdf |access-date=28 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last =Merritt |first =Carol |date=18 September 2018 |title=I Am Mary: Advent Devotional |publisher=Chalice Press |isbn=9780827231566 |pages=48}}</ref>
* Hope–Peace–Joy–Love<ref>{{cite web |title=Advent Themes |date=December 2011 |type=study guide |website=Our Daily Bread (ODB.org) |url=https://odb.org/2011/12/01/advent-themes/ |access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref>
* Faithfulness–Hope–Joy–Love<ref name=Hoffman-1993-09>{{cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Jan Luben |date=September 1993 |title=Circle of Light: Four themes for use with the Advent wreath |website=Reformed Worship (reformedworship.org) |url=https://www.reformedworship.org/article/september-1993/circle-light-four-themes-use-advent-wreath |access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref>
* Prophets–Angels–Shepherds–Magi<ref name=Hoffman-1993-09/>
* Faith–Prepare–Joy–Love<ref>{{cite web |last=Tullos |first=Matt |date=1 December 2017 |title=Week&nbsp;1: Faith |series=Advent devotional |website=lifeway.com |url=http://www.lifeway.com/Article/devotions-christmas-advent-week-one-faith |access-date=10 December 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125034256/http://www.lifeway.com/Article/devotions-christmas-advent-week-one-faith |archive-date=25 January 2016}}</ref>