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Advent 2025
The Meaning and Significance of Advent
The Advent season is a four-week period in the Christian calendar that prepares people for Jesus Christ’s birth at Christmas, while also pointing ahead to his promised return. Each Sunday of the season traditionally spotlights a key theme—like hope, peace, joy, or love—to invite reflection, prayer, and expectant celebration.
The traditional Advent season invites participants into four weeks of deep reflection on the advent, or arrival, of God in Jesus of Nazareth, as well as on his promised return. From focused prayer and Scripture reading, to candled wreaths and embellished calendars, Advent celebrations vary widely. But all Advent practices share a heightened anticipation for God’s arrival. More than a countdown to Christmas, Advent embraces the way of Jesus and encourages hopeful waiting, courageous peace-making, resilient joy, and self-giving love in our still-suffering world.
The word “advent” comes from the Latin adventus, which is about a “coming” or an “arrival.” The Latin translation of the New Testament uses adventus to describe God the Son arriving on Earth, born as Jesus of Nazareth during the 1st century C.E. (see Acts 7:52). Still, throughout Church history, Advent has more traditionally referred to Jesus’ future arrival, when he comes to complete his work of restoring all creation (see Matt. 24:27; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 3:13).
The Advent season leads to the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also emphasizes his future arrival. It’s a season that includes practices like prayer, giving to those in need, and worship (plus more, depending on the tradition). And it reminds us that we’re living during the time between Jesus’ first and second advents, leading us to lament the hardships we experience in a still-broken world, while also forming us into people who wait with longing for the renewed world to come.
Celebrating Advent also means living into it by practicing a generous way of love and care for our neighbors as we partner with Jesus to bring peace on Earth.
Bible Readings for Advent 2025
In most Christian traditions, Advent focuses on a particular biblical theme during each of the four weeks preceding Christmas. Although the selection and arrangement of themes can vary, these are some themes commonly explored during Advent.
- Week 1: Hope
- Week 2: Peace
- Week 3: Joy
- Week 4: Love
First Sunday of Advent Week 1: Hope (or Promise) Isaiah 9
Second Sunday of Advent Week 2: Preparation (or Waiting or Prophecy) Isaiah 40
Third Sunday of Advent Week 3: Joy (or Peace) Matthew 2
Fourth Sunday of Advent Week 4: Love (or Adoration) John 3
Christmas Eve/Christmas Day: Promise of the Savior Fulfilled