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What’s the Origin of the Advent Wreath?
Q: What’s the origin of the Advent wreath?
In many churches and homes, the start of the Advent season is marked by the appearance of the familiar evergreen wreath and four candles. Lighting the candles as the weeks of Advent progress—one candle the first week, two the second, and so on—is a cherished tradition for many Western Christians, often accompanied by prayers, Scripture reading, and hymn-singing. But where did this custom originate?
The precise origin of the Advent wreath is uncertain. Some believe it began in pre-Christian Europe, where people lit candles as a sign of warmth and light during the dark and cold month of December. The candles may also have symbolized hope in the eventual return of spring. According to some accounts, Christian missionaries later used this custom as a way to teach pagan peoples about Christ, the true light who enters a darkened world to bring salvation.
It was not until the 16th century in Germany that we find evidence of a candle-lighting custom being explicitly linked to the Church’s season of Advent. Some sources suggest that Lutherans developed the practice of lighting candles to mark the time until Christmas, while others note that a similar tradition could already be found among both Lutherans and Catholics.
What is more certain is that the Advent wreath as we know it today did not take shape until the 19th century. German theologian and educator Johann Hinrich Wichern (1808–1881) is generally credited with devising the pattern of lighting an increasing number of candles to count down the days until Christmas. The number and color of the candles developed over time—and even today vary among Western Christian communities. In any case, the basic practice caught on among Catholics and Protestants alike and soon spread throughout Europe and North America.
If you’ve never brought this tradition into your home, it’s not too late to start. The Advent wreath brings together so many important elements: prayer, Scripture, hymn-singing, catechesis on the Incarnation, and the simple beauty and mystery of candlelight. It’s a wonderful place to begin praying together as a family, and it leaves children with fond memories and a lovely tradition they will be eager to pass on to their own families.
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Homily: 2nd Sunday of Advent
“What Do You Want for Christmas?”
Fr. Greg Bierbaum (Dec. 7, 2025) -
A Stirring Choral Tribute to Our Lady
On Nov. 16, the Choir of St. Mark presented Mass of the Americas, a complex and stirring choral tribute to Our Lady by contemporary composer Frank La Rocca.
We speak often about the importance of upholding the Church’s centuries-old sacred music tradition, but we should also remember that there is still beautiful music being written today. Mass of the Americas is an excellent case in point. Commissioned by the Benedict XVI Institute in Menlo Park, California, the work was intended for liturgical use, but more than holds its own as a stand-alone composition.
From the Benedict XVI Institute website:
Frank La Rocca’s Mass of the Americas was conceived by Archbishop Cordileone as a twinned tribute to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (patroness of the United States) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (patroness of Mexico and all the Americas). It elevates much-loved Mexican folk hymns to Our Lady and includes possibly the first Ave Maria hymn ever composed in Nahuatl, the Aztec language Our Lady spoke to St. Juan (benedictinstitute.org/mota-2).
Directed by Diana Corliss and accompanied on organ by Zachary Stoughton, this challenging performance was hailed by one audience member as “sublime,” adding, “The artistry that you… have blessed us with at St. Mark is truly extraordinary!” It also demonstrated what is possible for sacred music at the parish level today.
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Homily: 1st Sunday of Advent
“A Period of Devout and Expectant Delight”
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Christ Our King
Alarmed by the rise of secularism and atheism in the early 20th century, Pope Pius XI issued an encyclical, Quas primas, in 1925, wherein he instituted a new feast day, Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Regis, or “Our Lord Jesus Christ the King.” Designated for the last Sunday in October, the feast was meant to call attention to the lordship of Christ over creation and all human affairs, both spiritual and temporal. He wrote:
… these manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives; that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics: and we said further, that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations (Quas primas para. 1).
Having witnessed the horrors of the First World War and the rise of atheistic authoritarianism in Russia, Mexico, and elsewhere, he wished to alert the nations to the dangers of following their current paths away from God. Only by submitting to Christ, he maintained, could any lasting peace be achieved. Tragically, much of the world—even what remained of Christendom—pressed ahead with its rejection of Christ and its pursuit of materialism. The consequences are well-documented.
In 1969, following a second global war and waves of social upheaval, Pope St. Paul VI elevated the feast to a solemnity and moved its observance to the last Sunday in the liturgical year. (He also updated the name to “Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.”) By placing it right before the start of Advent, he wished to highlight the connection of the feast to Christ’s triumphant second coming at the end of time. Christ is indeed our King, and He will return as He promised.
This year, as we mark the centenary of Quas primas, we look back on a hundred years of societies turning their backs on their true King, and all the resulting suffering and disorder. Those of us who acknowledge His reign have an obligation to make Him known by how we live our lives. Billions of souls are at stake, and time is short.
For Further Reading:
- Pope Pius XI, Quas primas (1925), para. 1. https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_11121925_quas-primas.html
- “About Christ the King,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. https://www.usccb.org/committees/religious-liberty/solemnity-christ-king-background
- “What Is the Meaning of Christ the King?” EWTN Missions. https://missions.ewtn.com/seasonsandfeastdays/christtheking/
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Homily: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Responding to Controversy in the Church
Q: How should Catholics respond to controversy in the Church?
For Catholics just trying to live their lives, raise their families, and grow in holiness, the constant online cycle of Church news and over-the-top reaction can be exhausting and disheartening. It seems every time we turn around, we’re breathlessly informed of yet another event that spells certain disaster for the Church. That much of this doomsaying originates from fellow Catholics makes it all the more hurtful— and frankly, dangerous for the Church’s mission of bringing Christ to the world.
How should Catholics respond to all this? Here are four suggestions to keep us grounded amid of the storms of controversy:
Remember that we’ve been here before.
At times like these, it pays to keep our perspective. The truth is, there has never been a time in the last 2,000 years where everything was perfect and the Church simply sailed smoothly from victory to victory—not in the 1950s, the 1350s, or the 550’s. Not after the Council of Trent, or Nicaea, or any other “good” council. Only in hindsight does any period look like a “golden age,” and then only through a selective lens. Imagine if social media had existed during the era of the Borgia popes! From Pentecost to the present, there have always been problems, disappointments, and scandals. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “there is nothing new under the sun.”
Notice the good that’s happening.
At the same time that many bad things were happening in the Church, far more wonderful things were also happening. The Gospel was preached, the poor were fed, miracles were worked, and Western Civilization was built. So it is today. Christ continues to touch hearts and change lives all over the world.
Social media gives us a myopic view of the world; we see only what the content creators want us to see. But that’s not the whole story—not even close. While we’ve lamented the shrinking of the Church in the West, the Church in Africa has grown by leaps and bounds, often under intense persecution. Baptisms and Mass attendance are riding again in secular Europe. Right here at St. Mark, we have 28 beautiful souls in our OCIA program, seeking to be united with Jesus in His Church. Don’t let the anger and scandals blind you to the grace that is all around us.
Take a break from the social media.
Speaking of social media, maybe it’s time to take a break. If we’re spending hours a day “doom-scrolling” through X (Twitter) or YouTube, only to come away angry or fearful, that’s probably not time well-spent. Yes, there is good, uplifting content online. Does it outweigh the bad? That’s an open question. Sadly, many Catholic content creators are busy fueling, rather than fighting, the fires of resentment. Replacing screen time with the Bible, the Rosary, or simply a walk outside, can do wonders for our outlook.
Trust in God’s providence.
In times of distress, we must decide what we really believe. Is God in control, or not? Will the Church established by Jesus persevere, or not? Does God really need us to fret over every controversy, as though that will change anything? It takes trust and humility to accept that Jesus will make good on His promises, and that He will calm every storm, just as He did on the Sea of Galilee. Can we find the faith to simply rest with Him in the boat?
In conclusion, we might take the advice of J. R. R. Tolkein, who himself lived though some significant Church controversies, his later years being spent in the aftermath of Vatican II and the implementation of the new Mass. An inveterate traditionalist, Tolkein struggled inwardly to adjust to the many changes. But he knew that being Catholic meant to remain steadfast, even as the familiar landscape of the Faith seemed to slip away. In a letter from 1967, he wrote:
For all of us ‘conservatives’ I think the trouble in our Church is at present more trying than all our personal and physical woes. But it has to be endured. Only loyalty and silence (in public) will provide the ballast for the rocking bark! As the disciples said to Our Lord: we have nowhere else to go.1
¹ J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 294a in The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition, ed. Humphrey Carpenter (William Morrow, 2023), quoted in “The Doctor of the Church and the Maker of Middle-earth: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Newman Connections,” Word on Fire, https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/the-doctor-of-the-church-and-the-maker-of-middle-earth-j-r-r-tolkiens-newman-connections/
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Homily: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
“Physical & Spiritual Temples: They Both Start with Jesus”
Fr. Bierbaum, Nov. 9, 2025
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Liturgy Notes: Latin in the Liturgy
There is a trend in the Church, slow but significant, of incorporating more Latin into the celebration of Mass. At St. Mark, we have been in the process now for several years of introducing the Latin texts of various parts of Mass, chiefly in the “Ordinary” of Mass—those parts that do not change from week to week, like the Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Why have we been doing this? Is this just an aesthetic choice, or is there a deeper reason?
The short answer is that we incorporate Latin into our liturgies because the Church instructs us to do so. When debating the reform of the Mass, the bishops at Vatican II determined that while use of the vernacular may be suitable in certain instances, some Latin must be retained. In their document on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, the council fathers write:
In Masses which are celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be allotted to their mother tongue. This is to apply in the first place to the readings and “the common prayer,” but also, as local conditions may warrant, to those parts which pertain to the people… Nevertheless, steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them (sec. 54) [emphasis added].
It’s clear that the Church did not intend to eliminate Latin, but only to make room for expanded use of the local language when called for by unique pastoral situations. Our practice at St. Mark fits squarely within these guidelines. Moreover, Latin is our heritage as Western Christians—a source of unity in the Church and a living bond with those who have gone before us.
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Why Do Catholics Believe in Purgatory?
Q: Why do Catholics believe in Purgatory? Aren’t there only two possible destinations after death?
Each November, beginning with the Feast of All Souls (officially, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed), the Church turns her attention in a particular way to the souls in Purgatory. Offering prayers for the Church Suffering (as souls in Purgatory are sometimes called) is so common among Catholics that we may not realize how controversial this teaching is for many non-Catholic Christians.
We should begin with the Church’s own definition of Purgatory:
All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect…1
So yes, there are only two ultimate destinations after death. Each person will spend eternity either in Heaven (in God’s presence) or in Hell (separated from God). Purgatory is not a “third option,” nor is it a “second chance” for those condemned. The souls in Purgatory are saved.
Someone may ask, “Alright, but where is Purgatory in the Bible?” Here we must acknowledge that there is no direct exposition of the doctrine in Scripture—just as there is no explicit definition of the Trinity or of the hypostatic union (Christ’s full humanity and divinity) in the biblical text, though most Christians affirm both. Still, several passages hint that something like Purgatory was already understood.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus warns that those who do not reconcile with their brother may be “handed over to the judge” and thrown into prison, where “you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.”2 St. Paul writes that our works done in this life will be tested by fire: “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”3
In the Old Testament, the Second Book of Maccabees gives an explicit example of prayer for the dead:
For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead… Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.4
Clearly, at least some Jews of that day believed that purification could continue after death, and that the prayers of the living could aid the departed.
These are not conclusive proofs for the existence of Purgatory, but they do suggest an ancient understanding that a purifying process must occur—either in this life or, failing that, in the next.
The belief in Purgatory thus comes to us through the Church’s teaching authority, grounded in Scripture, Tradition, and ancient practice. More than a doctrine to be believed, though, Purgatory is a mercy to be embraced. The beloved Protestant author C. S. Lewis expressed it beautifully:
Our souls demand Purgatory, don’t they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, ‘It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drop with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy.’? Should we not reply, ‘With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I’d rather be cleaned first.’ ‘It may hurt, you know.’—‘Even so, sir.’ 5
Let us give thanks to our merciful God, who gives us the gift of Purgatory. Moreover, let us remember to pray for those currently experiencing the cleansing fire, especially those most dear to us.
Endnotes
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030–1031 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana; Our Sunday Visitor edition).
Matthew 5:25–26, RSV-2CE (Ignatius Press).
1 Corinthians 3:14–15, RSV-2CE (Ignatius Press).
2 Maccabees 12:44–45, RSV-2CE (Ignatius Press).
C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, Letter XX; quoted in “C. S. Lewis’s Argument for Purgatory,” Catholic365.com,https://www.catholic365.com/article/17757/c-s-lewiss-argument-for-purgatory.html.
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