The Fourth Week of Advent invites us to open our hearts to love—the generous, self-giving love that God revealed when He chose to come to us as a Child.
As the final candle of the wreath is lit, we remember that Christ’s coming is very near.
This devotion helps you prepare your heart to welcome Him with gratitude, humility, and love.
The Fourth Week of Advent: Understanding Love
During the Fourth Week of Advent, Christians reflect on the deepest truth of Christmas:
that God’s love becomes flesh and enters our world to save us.
“For God so loved the world…” — John 3:16
Advent love is not emotion or sentiment.
It is sacrifice, mercy, compassion, and the willingness to give ourselves as Christ gave Himself for us.
As Christmas approaches, the Church calls us to open every corner of our hearts—our joys, our wounds, our relationships—to the transforming love of Jesus.
This is the love Advent invites us to rediscover:
a love that gives, heals, forgives, and restores.
⭐ A True Advent Story of Love: Saint Maximilian Kolbe
In the summer of 1941, inside the Auschwitz concentration camp, a moment of extraordinary love took place.
After a prisoner escaped, the guards chose ten men to die by starvation as punishment.
One of them, Franciszek Gajowniczek, a husband and father, cried out in anguish for his wife and children.
Hearing his cry, Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who was also a prisoner in the camp, stepped forward and asked to take his place.
His offer was accepted.
Kolbe was led into the starvation bunker with the other condemned men.
Those who were present later said that, instead of despair, something unexpected happened:
- he prayed aloud with the other prisoners,
- he consoled the fearful,
- he sang hymns with them,
- and a place of death was heard to ring with prayer.
After about two weeks, Kolbe was among the few still alive. On August 14, 1941, the eve of the Assumption, he was put to death.
He had offered his life freely—pure, self-giving love.
Franciszek Gajowniczek survived the war and lived for decades. In 1982, he was present when Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian Kolbe as a saint.
This true story reveals the heart of the Fourth Week of Advent:
- Love sacrifices.
- Love gives without counting the cost.
- Love brings Christ’s light to the darkest places.
What Does Love Mean in Advent?
In this sacred week, love means:
- giving ourselves generously, even in small ways,
- welcoming Christ’s compassion into our hearts,
- forgiving as we have been forgiven,
- placing others before ourselves,
- preparing room in our hearts for Jesus.
Love is the heart of Christmas—and the greatest gift we can offer God.
The Fourth Candle: Symbol of Love and Preparation
In many Advent traditions, the fourth candle of the wreath is a sign of:
- God’s faithful, enduring love,
- Mary and Joseph preparing in love for the birth of Jesus,
- the love that heals all wounds,
- Christ’s love that enters the world to save us.
The colors and the names given to each candle are customs that vary from one parish or family to another. Follow what your own community uses.
Lighting this candle can be a prayer that says:
“Lord, teach me to love as You love.”
How to Live the Fourth Week of Advent
This week, God invites you to:
- do one simple act of charity or generosity,
- forgive someone with a sincere heart,
- pray for those who feel unloved or forgotten,
- spend a quiet moment thanking God for His love,
- prepare your heart to welcome Jesus at Christmas.
Every act of love makes room for Christ.
Continue Your Advent Journey
If you have walked through hope, peace, and joy, this final week invites you to open your heart completely to love.
Keep building your Advent journey:
- Begin again with the First Week of Advent (Hope)
- Reflect deeply with the Second Week of Advent (Peace)
- Rejoice with the Third Week of Advent (Joy)
- Understand the whole season: What Is Advent?
Each step brings you closer to the love Christ desires for your life.
1. Prayer for the Fourth Week of Advent (Love)
Heavenly Father,
as we enter the Fourth Week of Advent,
fill my heart with Your perfect love.
Help me love as You love—
with patience, gentleness, mercy, and compassion.
Lord Jesus,
You are Love made flesh,
the Light who enters our darkness
and the Savior who comes to dwell among us.
Prepare my heart to welcome You at Christmas
with faith, humility, and devotion.
Holy Spirit,
kindle in me a spirit of charity.
Remove all selfishness and coldness,
heal every wound of the heart,
and teach me to love generously
those You have placed in my life.
O Mary, Mother of Love,
walk with me in this final week of Advent.
Help me receive Jesus with a pure heart,
serve others with tenderness,
and reflect God’s love in all I do.
Amen.
🕯️ 2. Reflection for the Fourth Week of Advent
The Fourth Week of Advent celebrates love—the love that moved God to become one of us, to enter our homes, our families, and our lives.
Love means:
- offering ourselves generously to others,
- responding to God’s grace with gratitude,
- letting Christ’s compassion shape our actions,
- and welcoming Jesus into every corner of our hearts.
As Christmas approaches, we remember that love is the heart of the Incarnation.
🌿 3. How to Pray This Week of Advent
Here’s a simple way to live this week of love:
- Light the fourth candle of your Advent wreath.
- Pray the Fourth Week of Advent prayer each morning or evening.
- Do one concrete act of charity or kindness for someone in need.
- Spend a few minutes reflecting on the love Christ brings to your life.
- Prepare your heart to welcome Him at Christmas with joy and devotion.
Every simple act of love prepares a place for Jesus.
🙏 Short Closing Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus.
Fill my heart with Your love
as I prepare to welcome You this Christmas.
Amen.
🌟 Come, Lord Jesus.
Bless this Advent week with hope, peace, joy, and love.
🔗 Related Advent Devotions
- What Is Advent? Meaning, the Four Weeks and How We Live It
- First Week of Advent Prayer
- Second Week of Advent Prayer
- Third Week of Advent Prayer
📌 Share This Devotion
If this prayer blessed your Advent journey, share it with someone who needs hope, peace, joy, or love:
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Fourth Sunday of Advent in 2026 is December 20. Advent ends on December 24, so the Fourth Week is short this year and lasts only a few days.
In the readings of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Church turns to Mary and Joseph and to the coming birth of Jesus. Many families and parishes also dedicate this week to love, though customs for naming the weeks vary.
We light the fourth candle of the Advent wreath, together with the other three. On most wreaths it is purple, and many families associate it with love. Follow what your parish or family uses.
Light the candles, pray the prayer on this page each morning or evening, forgive someone with a sincere heart, and do one simple act of charity before Christmas.
