Advent Candle Lighting Litanies

Advent means “coming.” It is a time of longing, watching, and praying for God’s healing, transformative presence to be ever more vibrantly present in the world. In this sense, Advent is a season in which we focus on that key phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come.” As Christians, the good news we strive to live by and declare is that love is stronger than hate, peace more enduring than war, hope more powerful than despair — and the light of God's love will dispel forever the shadows of shame cast by violence, suffering, sorrow, and contempt.

To help proclaim that God's new world is at hand, here are SALT’s candle lighting litanies for personal, family-based, or congregational use during this special season. Each litany begins by telling the truth about a world that is all too barren of hope, peace, joy, and love. And then, after the candle has been lit, we cry out with all people of faith — past, present, and future — that God is, even now, coming into the world!

Feel free to use these in whatever ways you see fit this Advent, proclaiming all the while that the night sky always gives way to the dawn. Adapt them and make them your own!

Week One: Hope

Reader One: When I look around, I see shadows of hunger. So many neighbors, nearby and around the world, will go to bed hungry tonight…

Reader Two: When I look around, I see shadows of injustice, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer — and someone somewhere will fall asleep under a bridge tonight…

Reader One: In the face of hunger, we light a candle of hope…

Reader Two: In the face of injustice, in the face of despair, we light a candle of hope… (Light the first candle in your Advent wreath.)

Reader One: May the light from this candle overwhelm the world.

Reader Two: May the light from this candle say to all that God’s hope is coming, on earth as it already is in heaven.

Reader One: Friends, be not afraid, God’s hope is at hand!

Week Two: Peace

Reader One: Because of war, because of violence in our communities, because there is still so much unrest in our hearts, we light a candle of peace...

Reader Two: Because hatred is still so strong, because so many swords have not yet been remade into ploughshares, we light a candle of peace…  (Light the second candle in your Advent wreath.)

Reader One: May the light from this candle overwhelm the world.

Reader Two: May the light from this candle say to all that God’s peace is coming, on earth as it already is in heaven.

Reader One: Friends, be not afraid, God’s peace is at hand!

Week Three: Joy

Reader One: When I look around, I see shadows of sadness, families who have lost loved ones, people in prison, people who are isolated and feel on their own…

Reader Two: When I look around, I see shadows of grief, people dreading the holidays because of painful memories, or because they don't want to spend another Christmas alone… 

Reader One: In the face of sadness, we light a candle of joy...

Reader Two: In the face of grief, in the face of loss, we light a candle of joy... (Light the third candle in your Advent wreath.)

Reader One: May the light from this candle overwhelm the world.

Reader Two: May the light from this candle say to all that God’s joy is coming, on earth as it already is in heaven.

Reader One: Friends, be not afraid, God’s joy is at hand!

Week Four: Love

Reader One: Because too many people are wandering in the wilderness, because too many people are sitting in the valley of the shadow of death, because too many of our conversations are laced with conflict and bitterness, we light candles…

Reader Two: Because people all over the world are suffering, and we’re often too distracted to notice, we light candles… 

Reader One: One for hope, one for peace, one for joy, and one for love… (Light the fourth candle in your Advent wreath.)

Reader Two: May the light from these candles overwhelm the world.

Reader One: May the light from these candles illuminate the valley of the shadow of death.

Reader Two: And may the fire from these candles burn away whatever would prevent God’s love from being born among us.

Reader One: Friends, be not afraid, even now — even now — God’s love is overwhelming the world, on earth as it already is in heaven!

Christ Candle (on Christmas Eve, which this year is also the Fourth Sunday of Advent)

If returning to the Advent wreath later in the day, use the entire litany below; if continuing the “Week Four” litany above, skip down to the lighting of the Christ Candle (three up from the bottom).

Reader One: Because injustice and despair threaten to overwhelm us, we pray for hope… 
(Light the first candle in your Advent wreath; or, if it’s already lit, gesture toward it.)

Reader Two: Because so many swords have not yet been remade into ploughshares, we pray for peace…
(Light the second candle in your Advent wreath; or, if it’s already lit, gesture toward it.)

Reader One: Because grief and loss weigh so heavily, we pray for joy...
(Light the third candle in your Advent wreath; or, if it’s already lit, gesture toward it.)

Reader Two: Because hatred is still so strong, and because people all over the world are suffering, we pray for love.
(Light the fourth candle in your Advent wreath; or, if it’s already lit, gesture toward it.)

Reader One: God has come to us as a child, to dwell with us, and to walk with us.
(Light the Christ Candle in your Advent wreath, often a candle in the center.)

Reader Two: May the light and the fire from these candles burn away whatever would prevent the God of hope and peace and joy and love from being born among us.

Reader One: Friends, be not afraid, even now — even now — the light of Christ is illuminating the world, on earth as it is in heaven!