“You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light…” (Eph 5:8)
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (Eph 5:14)
Advent is a season of awakening—not only to the light, but also to the truth that darkness has shaped us. Saint Paul reminds us that we were once darkness, yet now we are light in the Lord. Hope does not erase the night; it transforms it.
Continue reading “Awake to the Whole: Advent Hope”
“It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Rom 13:11)
Advent begins with a summons: awake. Saint Paul’s words stir us from the slumber of routine and distraction, reminding us that the Lord’s coming is not a distant dream but a near and living reality. Salvation is closer than we imagine, and hope is not deferred—it is dawning.
Continue reading “Awake to Hope This Advent”
The deepest struggle in marriage is not money, miscommunication, or even differences in personality—it is hardness of heart. When our hearts grow hard, we stop listening, stop forgiving, and let the sorrowful mysteries of life overwhelm us. Instead of turning toward one another, we retreat into silence or resentment.
Continue reading “Breaking Open With Love and Hope”
The season of Advent invites us into a sacred rhythm of waiting, expectation, and discovery. It is more than a countdown to Christmas-it is a time to pause, reflect, and rediscover the deeper meaning woven into these weeks of preparation. In that spirit, I’m delighted to share the Hinges of Hope Advent Retreat guided by Fr. Hung Pham, SJ. This retreat offers a space to gather with friends from across the globe, to breathe deeply, to ponder our deepest hopes, and to reflect on how the “doors” of our lives might open wider to grace, to love, and to one another. You’re warmly invited to register here for the ZOOM session and step into this journey of reflection.
As we begin Advent, I offer you the following meditation on Holy Doors, a journey through the door of Christ.
Continue reading “Get Hinged to Hope This Advent”
God’s mandate is love. Not efficiency. Not urgency. Not the breathless pace we’ve come to accept as normal.
Continue reading “Anchored in Love: Choosing the Unhurried Path of God”
Advent is the coming of Christ into this world. Did you know there are 198 different names and titles for Jesus in the Sacred Scriptures? They each describe different characteristics of God and his desire for a relationship with us by uniting divinity with humanity in Jesus. Since at least the eighth century, the Catholic Church has been singing the “O Antiphons;” the mystery of Christ in our salvation history. The coming of the Son of God in our human nature culminates in the solemn chant of the O’Antiphons from December 17 to 23. Their repeated use of the imperative “Come!” embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.
O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love, come to teach us the path of knowledge!
Oh, come, that wisdom, from on high, and order all things far and I; to us, the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go.
Lord Jesus Christ, so many times we seek the wisdom of this world for guidance in our lives. Come into our lives this advent, that we might know God’s will for our lives with the wisdom that only you can give. In your holy names, we pray Amen.
I’m grateful for the prayers written by those who have walked before us. During Advent, I love meditating on these words as I sit in the waiting, longing for a well lived life in Christ.
May the sounds of Advent stir a longing in your people, O God.
Come again to set us free from the dullness of routine and the poverty of our imaginations.
Break the patterns which bind us to small commitments and to the stale answers we have given to questions of no importance.
Let the Advent trumpet blow, let the walls of our defenses crumble,
and make a place in our lives for the freshness of your love,
well-lived in the Spirit, and still given to all who know their need and dare receive it.
Amen
By Howard Thurman
The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God. Pray in gratitude every day.
Psalm 100 instructs the soul to, “enter his gates with thanksgiving.” Gratitude is the key to God’s Heart, the place to begin in prayer. When you thank God, you’re acknowledging reality: God is real and He is the Source of all gifts and graces you receive in life —He is the Source of your very life!
Thank Him for Who He is: Savior, Healer, Redeemer, Lover, Friend. Thank Him for what He’s done. For giving you life, for His forgiveness and mercy, for the myriad of ways He’s provided for you both daily and in times of crisis, for speaking to you through His Word and the Church and in the silence of your heart. For blessings and for the beautiful mystery of suffering.
And it will open up your own heart, too. Thanksgiving will lift the veil of comparison and consumerism to see all that God has already done, all that He gives, all that He is. It will lift your heart and inflame your love. Thanksgiving will make you more content with what you have and more hopeful for what’s to come. Practice thanksgiving every single day and soon it will become a habit and your habits will become your life.
Start here: Thank you, Jesus, for…
In all things, joys and sorrows, we have reason to praise the Lord.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be always in my mouth. My soul will glory in the Lord; let the poor hear and be glad. Magnify the Lord with me; and let us exalt his name together. (Ps 34:2-4)
Amen
As we begin the advent season, how can we not contemplate Mary’s journey in the final days of her pregnancy. Her journey mirrors ours as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. Take some time today to reflect on what sacred longings are in your heart. What are the joys you long for?
What are the joys you are currently experiencing? How do I maintain the balance and lean towards gratitude during uncertain times not falling into the spiral of fear?
Lord, every day can be our yes, our Fiat, like Mary allowing your love to be born in our heart. Help me say yes today out of love for you. Amen
Smitten With Goodness 