Advent is the four weeks in which Christians prepare for Christmas. The word comes from the Latin adventus, "coming": we await the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem, his presence in our lives, and his return at the end of time. In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29 and ends on December 24. Here you will find Advent prayers for lighting the wreath each Sunday, the blessing of the wreath, prayers for your family, and ways to live this season.
Sundays of Advent 2026
- First Sunday: November 29. Light the first purple candle.
- Second Sunday: December 6. Light the second purple candle.
- Third Sunday (Gaudete): December 13. Light the rose candle.
- Fourth Sunday: December 20. Light the last purple candle.
During Advent we also celebrate two beloved feasts: the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12).
What the Advent wreath means
The Advent wreath is a circle of evergreen branches with four candles, one for each Sunday:
- The circle, with no beginning or end, recalls God's eternal love.
- The evergreen branches are a sign of hope and of life that does not die.
- The candles represent the light of Christ drawing near. Each week there is more light, because Christmas is closer.
- Purple is the liturgical color of Advent, an invitation to conversion and waiting.
- The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, called Gaudete ("rejoice"), because the joy of Christmas can already be felt.
Many families add a white candle in the center, lit on Christmas Eve as a sign that Jesus, the light of the world, has been born.
Blessing of the Advent wreath
The wreath is blessed on the first Sunday of Advent, at Mass or at home. If you bless it as a family, the father or mother can say:
Lord God, your Son Jesus Christ is the light who comes to illuminate the world. Bless this wreath we have prepared. May its lights remind us each Sunday that he comes to save us, and help us prepare our hearts through prayer, joy, and love for others. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
If you wish, you can sprinkle it with holy water.
Prayer for the first Sunday of Advent
Light the first purple candle.
Lord Jesus, as we light this first candle we begin to wait for your coming. Wake us from the sleep of routine and indifference. May this season not slip away in shopping and hurry, but may we live it with attentive hearts.
"Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come" (Mk 13:33).
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
You can finish with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.
Prayer for the second Sunday of Advent
Light two purple candles.
Lord, John the Baptist asks us to prepare your way and make your paths straight. Help us remove from our lives what keeps us from you: resentment, selfishness, and laziness in doing good. May we be reconciled with those we are distant from, and prepare ourselves with a good confession.
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths" (Mk 1:3).
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Prayer for the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete)
Light two purple candles and the rose candle.
Lord, today the Church invites us to rejoice, because your coming is near. May our joy depend not only on parties and gifts, but on knowing that you come to be with us. Give us hearts that are grateful and generous toward those who have no reason to celebrate.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near" (Phil 4:4-5).
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Prayer for the fourth Sunday of Advent
Light all four candles.
Lord, like Mary, we want to say "yes" to you. She waited for you with love and welcomed you into her life with faith. Teach us to welcome you as she did, to trust even when we do not understand everything, and to make room in our home for you to be born there.
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38).
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
To meditate with Mary, you can pray the Magnificat.
Advent prayer for families
Lord Jesus, during this Advent we want to prepare together for your coming.
Bless our home and each one of us who lives in it. May there be peace among us, may we know how to ask for forgiveness and forgive, and may these weeks bring us closer to you and to one another.
Remember the families who live apart, those who will spend Christmas alone, sick, or far from home, and those who have no shelter or bread. May our waiting become real help for them.
Come, Lord Jesus, and stay with us. Amen.
Short Advent prayers
Come, Lord Jesus. Prepare my heart to receive you. In this Advent, may I wait for you with faith, hope, and love. Amen.
Maranatha: come, Lord, do not delay. Amen.
Maranatha is an Aramaic word meaning "Come, Lord." It is one of the oldest prayers of the Church (1 Cor 16:22; Rv 22:20).
The O Antiphons (December 17 to 23)
In the last days of Advent, the Church prays seven invocations to Christ in Evening Prayer, each beginning with "O." You can pray one each night when you light the wreath:
- December 17: O Wisdom, come and teach us the way of prudence.
- December 18: O Adonai, leader of the house of Israel, come and free us with your outstretched arm.
- December 19: O Root of Jesse, come and deliver us, do not delay.
- December 20: O Key of David, come and free the captives who live in darkness.
- December 21: O Dayspring, come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
- December 22: O King of the nations, come and save the people you formed from the dust.
- December 23: O Emmanuel, God with us, come and save us, Lord our God.
How to live Advent
- Prepare the wreath as a family and light it each Sunday with a short prayer.
- Go to confession before Christmas, to welcome Jesus with a clean heart.
- Read the Gospel of the day's Mass, or a chapter of Isaiah, the prophet of Advent.
- Do a work of charity: visit someone who is sick, help a family in need, or volunteer at your parish.
- Pray with Mary, who waited for Jesus better than anyone. You can finish the novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe before her feast on December 12.
- Prepare the nativity scene little by little, and save the figure of the Baby Jesus for Christmas Eve.
In many Latino communities, Advent ends with Las Posadas, from Mexico and Central America, or the Novena de Aguinaldos, from Colombia and neighboring countries, both prayed from December 16 to 24.
Frequently asked questions
When does Advent begin in 2026? On Sunday, November 29, 2026. Advent always begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
In what order are the wreath candles lit? A purple candle first, another purple on the second Sunday, the rose candle on the third, and the last purple on the fourth. Each Sunday, you also light the candles of the previous weeks.
What do the Advent candles mean? A popular tradition dedicates each candle to those who awaited Jesus: the prophets, Bethlehem, the shepherds, and the angels. Other families link them to hope, peace, joy, and love. What matters is that they represent the light of Christ drawing near.
Can I light the wreath during the week? Yes. Many families light it each evening at dinner or at prayer, with the candles for that week.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, light of the world, we wait for you. Come to our hearts, our families, and our peoples. When Christmas comes, may you find us with our lamps lit and our hearts prepared. Amen.
When the feast arrives, you can continue with our Christmas prayers.