Second Candle of Advent: Peace in the Waiting

Last Sunday, we lit the second candle of Advent,

often called the Candle of Peace. Its gentle flame joins the first candle’s glow, slowly brightening the darkness as we journey toward Christmas.

But this peace is not passive. It’s not the absence of conflict or the quiet hush of snowfall. It’s deeper than that. Advent peace is the kind that holds steady in the waiting, in the uncertainty, in the ache for something more.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of a coming kingdom where swords will be beaten into plowshares, and the wolf will lie down with the lamb. It’s a vision of peace that feels far off—and yet, Advent insists that it is drawing near.

In our world, peace can feel fragile. We carry personal tensions, fractured relationships, and global unrest. And yet, the candle of peace reminds us:

“He shall be called Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

This peace is not something we manufacture. It is something we receive. It comes not through control, but through trust. Not through perfection, but through presence.

With the second candle, we pray not only for peace around us, but peace within us:

• Peace in our grief

• Peace in our questions

• Peace in our homes

• Peace in our hearts

May this flame be a sign that Christ’s peace is coming—not as a distant dream, but as a present companion. And may we become bearers of that peace, even as we wait.