November 30, 2025
Here we are — the First Sunday of Advent. Hard to believe how quickly the year has gone by! Advent is such a beautiful time — a season of waiting, of hope, and of quiet preparation for the coming of the Lord.
When I was a boy, I remember how my mother would set up the Advent wreath on the kitchen table. Each Sunday, she would light one more candle. We didn’t rush through it. She would pause and say, “We’re getting closer.” As a child, I thought she meant Christmas Day. Now I know she meant something deeper — we’re getting closer to Christ.
The Church calls us to do the same: to slow down, to watch, to prepare our hearts. Advent is a time to notice God’s presence breaking into our lives in small, ordinary ways — in kindness, in forgiveness, in prayer.
The Gospel tells us to “stay awake.” That doesn’t mean we should never rest; it means we should live with expectation — to be ready for God’s surprises. Christ doesn’t only come at the end of time; He comes to us every day, in the people we meet and the moments we often overlook.
As we begin this holy season, let’s make room for the Lord — a few quiet minutes in prayer, a gesture of kindness, or simply lighting a candle and remembering that the true Light is coming into the world.
May this Advent fill your hearts with peace, hope, and joyful anticipation.
I remember you at Mass!
