This Christmas season, we will decorate the church with due joyousness and memorialize loved ones with flowers. The flowers are a sign of our joy in the birth of Christ our Savior.

To memorialize a loved one with flowers for the Church: go to stcharlesbklyn.org/christmasflowers or use the envelopes available in the back of the church.

In the Catholic tradition, the second week of Advent is a time of patient reflection and anticipation, marked by the lighting of the second purple candle on the Advent wreath, known as the Bethlehem Candle or the Peace Candle. This candle symbolizes peace and commemorates Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

The Advent wreath, with its four candles, is a central symbol of the Advent season. Each candle represents a different aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ. The first candle, the Prophet’s Candle, symbolizes hope. The second candle, the Bethlehem Candle, focuses on peace. This candle reminds us of the peace that Jesus brings to the world, a peace that surpasses all understanding.