The four candles of an Advent wreath - Peace, Faith, Love, and Hope - begin speaking as they burn. Peace and Faith extinguish as people no longer live in peace or have faith. Love grows dim as people cast love aside. A child enters and is upset to see the candles out. The candle of Hope says it will keep burning and can relight the others. The child uses the flame of Hope to rekindle Peace, Faith, and Love. The story conveys that Hope can reignite positive qualities when others dim, and that each person should keep the flames of Peace, Faith, Love, and Hope alive.

1. FOUR CANDLES

2. FOUR CANDLES WERE BURNING
ON THE ADVENT WREATH,

3. IT WAS SO QUIET
THAT YOU COULD
HEAR THE
CANDLES START
TO SPEAK.

4. THE FIRST CANDLE SIGHED
AND SAID:
“MY NAME IS PEACE.
MY LIGHT IS BURNING, BUT
PEOPLE AREN’T LIVING IN
PEACE.”
Its light got dimmer and dimmer and finally went out
completely...

5. THE SECOND CANDLE
FLICKERED AND SAID,
“MY NAME IS FAITH,
BUT I AM NO LONGER
NEEDED.
PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO
HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH
GOD. THERE IS NO POINT IN
MY BURNING ANYMORE.”
A draft entered the room and blew the second candle out...

6. A SAD, FAINT VOICE EMERGED
FROM THE THIRD CANDLE:
“MY NAME IS LOVE.
I NO LONGER HAVE THE
STRENGTH TO BURN. PEOPLE
HAVE CAST ME ASIDE.
THEY ONLY SEE THEMSELVES,
NOT THE ONES THEY SHOULD
LOVE.”
And with one last flicker, this candle, too, went dark...

7. A CHILD ENTERED THE
ROOM.
HE LOOKED AT THE
CANDLES AND SAID:
“BUT YOU AREN’T
SUPPOSED TO BE OUT,
YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE
BURNING!”
A n d h e a l m o s t b e g a n t o c r y…

8. THEN THE FOURTH CANDLE
SPOKE. IT SAID:
“DON’T BE AFRAID! AS LONG
AS I AM BURNING, WE CAN
LIGHT THE OTHER CANDLES,
TOO.
MY NAME IS HOPE!”

9. THE CHILD TOOK A MATCH AND LIT THE
OTHER CANDLES FROM THE CANDLE OF
HOPE.

10. The flame of
hope must never
die...

11. ...and each of us
should keep the
flames of
PEACE,
FAITH,
LOVE
&
HOPE
alive.

12. Wishing you HOPE
LOVE
FAITH
PEACE
For the year 2011
Happy New Year
VAnITA