The second week of Advent invites us to rest in stillness and cultivate peace. Explore this reflection on the Peace Candle — finding calm, surrender, and presence amid the world’s noise.
Week 2 – Cultivating Peace
Peace is not the absence of noise, conflict, or chaos. It’s a quiet steadiness that remains even when the world swirls around us. In the second week of Advent, we light the Peace or Bethlehem Candle — a symbol of peace and preparation.
This candle reminds us that peace often begins in unlikely places: a humble town, a dim stable, a heart that chooses stillness over striving.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
— John 14:27
The peace of Advent isn’t something we manufacture; it’s something we make room for. It’s what happens when we pause long enough to let our souls catch their breath — when we stop trying to control every outcome and simply let ourselves be held.
In our fast, distracted age, peace rarely comes uninvited. It must be cultivated — like a garden tended in faith, watered by prayer, silence, or song. It grows when we step back from urgency and choose presence instead.
🌿 Reflection
- Where do you feel hurried, anxious, or overextended right now?
- What would it look like to rest — even briefly — in peace this week?
Maybe peace is waiting for you in small moments: a slow inhale before you speak, the hush of early morning, or the quiet glow of a candle before bed.
✨ Practice for the Week
Each day, find one simple act of stillness.
Take a slow breath before beginning your day. Step outside and notice the night sky. Listen without rushing to respond.
Let that moment become your own Bethlehem — a quiet space where peace can be born.
🎶 Listening for Peace
Two songs beautifully express the gentle spirit of this week:
- Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) by Amy Grant — a tender prayer of surrender and strength, inviting peace in the midst of uncertainty.
- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear — performed by Reawaken Hymns, a timeless reflection on the angelic message of peace to a weary world.
Play one (or both) as you light your second candle. Let the melodies quiet your spirit and draw you toward that still, sacred center.
💫 Closing Blessing
May peace find you where you are — not once everything settles,
but right here, in the middle of it all.
May your breath slow, your shoulders soften,
and your heart remember: peace begins within.
-laura