On the 1st Day of Advent (11/30/2025)

This morning, as I went to my porch with my cup of needed hot coffee in hand, I looked out at an unbelievably beautiful landscape of white fluff adorning fir branches, topping roofs, and drifted about the ground. Its whiteness reflected the night lights and dimly lit the whole scene. It’s almost winter; this is a beautiful teaser for the season that is soon to come. And thinking of seasons, I remembered that today begins Advent. And I recalled what the wonderful Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York taught me. Anything worth doing is worth starting with prayer.

As we begin our Advent journeys of preparation for the remembrance of Christ’s first coming and await His second coming, we should do so with prayer and in prayer. We should ask the Father Almighty for help in preparing ourselves to receive His beloved Son and that He send His Spirit to stir within us, to help us make not only room in our homes but in our hearts and minds. We should ask that the LORD make us instruments of the peace and wholeness He sought for us in sending His Son and vessels of His light.

As we make our way deeper into Advent and closer to Christmas, we need to commit to continue to pray daily so that we do not forget the reason for the season nor our own need to prepare, to make room, to make ready. We can use the prayers we know, or we can seek help at websites like Hallow. In my diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, our Bishop has a daily reflection video as well as a prayer and reading for each day (Joyful Advent Study | Diocese of Madison | Madison, WI).

As I sit writing, I think of our world and its needs. We need Christ individually and collectively. I can see this; I believe you can, too. Let us take this time to restore through prayer our openness to the Son of God, our Savior, in our lives, our homes, our world. Let us commit to it, let us pray daily for this gift and for the openness to receive this awesome gift well and with love.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.