The four Advent themes, in order, are hope, peace, joy, and love, one for each Sunday of Advent, the season when the Church prepares for Christmas. It also falls in some of the busiest weeks of the year, and between school concerts and shopping lists, it’s easy for Christmas to arrive before we’ve had a quiet moment with Him.
Many Catholic families give each Sunday of Advent its own theme: hope, peace, joy, and love. Each theme is one way of preparing for Jesus. Focusing on one at a time means that even a busy family has one simple thing to pray about and talk about each week.
Advent Themes in Order
Each week’s theme goes with one candle on the Advent wreath, a ring of evergreen branches that holds four candles, with one more lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple (violet) and one is rose, and each color has its own meaning.
Each theme also goes with that Sunday’s Gospel (the reading at Mass from one of the four Gospels, the books of the Bible about Jesus’ life). Through Advent, the Sunday Gospels follow a set pattern, shown in the table.
| Week | Theme | Candle | Sunday Gospel Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Sunday | Hope | Purple | The Lord's coming at the end of time |
| Second Sunday | Peace | Purple | John the Baptist |
| Third Sunday (Gaudete) | Joy | Rose | John the Baptist |
| Fourth Sunday | Love | Purple | Events leading up to Jesus' birth |
Week One: Hope
In the First Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to stay awake and watchful, because they don’t know when He will return. Hope is how we wait for Him. It’s the virtue, or steady good habit, of trusting God to keep His promises, even when we can’t see how yet.
This week, ask at dinner each night, “Where did you see hope today?” and let even the littlest ones answer. And for you, mom, when the to-do list feels endless, hope is trusting that God is already at work in your home, even in the parts you can’t fix today.
Week Two: Peace
On the Second Sunday, we meet John the Baptist, Jesus’ relative, who called people to prepare the way of the Lord. Preparing a way means clearing out whatever blocks it. In our homes, that can be an overbooked calendar, or a hurt nobody has talked about yet.
December 8 falls in this week, too. It’s the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, so plan to bring the whole family to Mass that day.
This week, take one thing off the calendar to free up a little time for prayer. If there’s a hurt at home, make peace with a simple “I’m sorry.” You can also go to Confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation). There, we confess our sins to God and receive His forgiveness through a priest. With less in the way, there’s more space in our days for the peace Jesus brings.
For moms, peace can start with letting one thing go undone this week and handing it to Him.
Week Three: Joy and Gaudete Sunday
The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday (say it “gow-DAY-tay”), from the Latin word for “rejoice.” The name comes from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon (the short verse said or sung as Mass begins). It quotes St. Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
Gaudete Sunday is the midpoint of Advent. The waiting is half over and Jesus’ birth is close, so joy is the theme and the rose candle is lit.
This week, celebrate that Jesus is near by singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” together after dinner. Its chorus begins “Rejoice! Rejoice!”, the same message as Gaudete Sunday. Emmanuel is a name for Jesus that means “God with us.”
And once that’s done, remember that joy isn’t the same as a perfect day. Before bed, thank Jesus for one gift He gave you today, however small.
Week Four: Love
On the Fourth Sunday, we hear about the events leading up to Jesus’ birth, and Christmas is only days away. Love is the theme because love is the reason Jesus came. As John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” The Church calls this the Incarnation, when God became man in Jesus.
This week, do one loving thing each day for someone at home, like a note in a lunchbox or a chore done without being asked. Every small act of love is a way of making room for Him.
Moms, remember that God sees the love you pour into a hundred small tasks. Ask Mary, who also waited for her Child, to help you love with her patience.
Why Are There Four Advent Themes?
There are four Advent themes because Advent always has four Sundays, and each Sunday has its own candle on the Advent wreath. The themes grew up as a family custom around those candles rather than as an official Church list, so you’ll sometimes see a slightly different list, like hope, faith, joy, and peace. Only joy comes straight from the Mass, through Gaudete Sunday.
Advent always starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, so its length depends on which day of the week Christmas falls. It can last anywhere from 22 to 28 days (26 in 2026), but there are always four Sundays.
All four themes also point to the same thing. During Advent, we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, and we look ahead to His Second Coming, when He will return in glory at the end of time. Both are a kind of waiting. Hope, peace, joy, and love are each a way of waiting well for Him.
Simple Ways to Share the Advent Themes With Your Family at Home
Each of these ideas is a small way to bring that week’s theme home and talk about Jesus together:
- Wreath time: Each Sunday, gather around your Advent wreath, light that week’s candle, read a short Bible passage, and talk about the theme.
- An Advent calendar: Choose a Catholic Advent calendar that pairs each day with a Bible verse or a small act of kindness, so every day has its own way to prepare.
- Morning prayer: Say a short prayer for the week’s theme over your coffee in a Catholic mug. The Advent Mug has all four themes printed on it, so they can be a part of your day right from the start.
- A daily prayer: Pray the St. Andrew novena, a short prayer said 15 times a day from November 30 until Christmas Eve as we wait for Jesus’ birth.
- Books and a Jesse Tree: Read a Catholic book for kids at bedtime and talk about the week’s theme afterward. Many families also add a Jesse Tree, where each day’s Bible story gets its own ornament on a small tree.
You don’t need to do all of these. Choose one or two Catholic Advent traditions that fit your family’s evenings, and keep them up for all four Sundays. And if bedtime gets loud or a night gets skipped, that’s okay. You’re still preparing your family’s hearts for Jesus.
Frequently asked questions
When does each Advent theme start in 2026?
Hope starts on the First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2026. Peace begins on December 6, joy on Gaudete Sunday, December 13, and love on December 20. Each theme lasts until the next Sunday, and love lasts until Christmas Eve, December 24, when Advent 2026 ends.
Which Gospels are read on the Sundays of Advent 2026?
The Church reads through the Gospels in a three-year cycle of Sunday readings, called Years A, B, and C. Advent 2026 begins Year B, so the Sunday Gospels are Mark 13:33-37 on November 29, Mark 1:1-8 on December 6, John 1:6-8, 19-28 on December 13, and Luke 1:26-38 on December 20. The last one is the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would be the mother of Jesus.
Why is December 17 special in Advent?
Mass is celebrated every day, not only on Sundays, and each weekday has its own Bible readings. From December 17 to December 24, those weekday readings turn more directly toward Christmas. On December 17, the Gospel lists Jesus’ ancestors, His family line going back to Abraham and King David. Over the next few days, we hear the events leading up to His birth, like the angel’s visit to Mary. If you’d like to read the day’s Gospel together at home, this is a good week to start.