The Diocese of Tucson celebrated the fourth Sunday of Advent on Dec. 19.

“The  last Sunday of Advent, we reflect on love," the Diocese said on Facebook. "God’s love for us and the world. Our love for God and love for others. In the words of His Holiness Pope Francis (2020), ‘The love of God is always measured by the love of others.’ This means feeling compassion for the suffering of our brothers and sisters. Listening to them. Taking care of them.”  

Advent, the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year, began on Sunday,  Dec. 3, according to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago. "Advent encompasses the four Sundays and weekdays leading up  to the celebration of Christmas."

The Advent season is "a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas," Mercy said.

A wreath with candles used during Advent are symbolic of the Christmas Season, according to the home

"The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life," it said. "The circle of the wreath, which has no  beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the "immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ."

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Bible reading tells the story of  Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby “leaped in her womb,” and  Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and realized Mary’s baby was the Son of God, according to the Bible.

"The word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning 'coming,' which is a translation of the Greek word parousia," the website Christian.com said. "Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the  baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1). "

 Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration, the website said.

"Originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas," it said.