Your answers
When should we light the pink candle on the Advent
wreath? Our vicar lights it on Advent 4 to commemorate the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Common Worship says that it should be the
Third (Gaudete) Sunday. Which is correct?
With the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), we no longer have
common practices that can apply to specific Sundays. I have had a
friendly argument about this one every year for as long as I can
remember.
The Roman Rite before Vatican II prescribed Philippians 4.4-6/7
as both introit and epistle for the Third Sunday in Advent,
starting with the words Gaudete in Domino semper; hence
the name Gaudete Sunday. The vestment colour was laid down as "pink
or violet". The 1549 Prayer Book moved Philippians 4.4 on, as the
epistle for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. So the Roman and Anglican
rites offered different Sundays as Gaudete Sunday.
The RCL is used, with minor deviations, by several
denominations, and it has a three-yearly cycle. Year C has
Philippians 4.4-7 as the second reading for Advent 3; so we have in
effect gone back to the old Roman lectionary once in three years.
But the second reading on Year B Advent 3 includes 1 Thessalonians
5.16, "Rejoice always" (Semper gaudete), continuing the
tradition. Year A, using James 5.7-10 and Romans 1.1-7 for the
Third and Fourth Sundays, represents a break with both
traditions.
Pink may be regarded as pale purple, and thus represents a pause
for rejoicing during a period of preparation and penance. Light
blue is the colour for our Lady. Apart from churches still using
the BCP, the pink candle should be lit on the Third Sunday in
Advent.
Christopher Haffner (Reader)
East Molesey
The liturgical colour is usually called "rose", as the Revd
Richard Tillbrook, of Colchester, points out. He has also noticed
that we did not include it for Advent 3 on our free wallplanner for
2013. This change from previous years was not, however,
intentional. Editor
Your questions
The ASB 1980 has an order for the installation of an
abbot or abbess. We know of some C of E abbots, but to which
religious house are the abbesses attached? G. S.
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