Dear Sister, Sometimes I have a hard time believing. Some things just feel impossible. Will I ever be freed of doubt? Will he ever be healed from his suffering? Will she ever find the answers she’s looking for?  Are You as good as they say You are?  I look at Mary, and I can’t believe she believed so well. She was a young girl who simply believed. She took our Lord at His word. She believed Him when He said it would happen in this way. She knew He was faithful to His word. Oh, to live with trust like that. Pope Benedict XVI says this of Mary’s faith: “It is the profound humility of the obedient faith of Mary, who welcomes within her even what she does not understand in God’s action, leaving it to God to open her mind and heart.”* Phew, do I struggle to understand so many things! I’m confused, I don’t have the whole picture, I just wish I knew how all the puzzle pieces will fall into place. Mary didn’t understand, yet she trusted that God would open her mind and heart to the whole story. To reveal it to her according to His plan for her good. To each one of us who doesn’t understand, here is the formula: We must leave it to God to open our minds and hearts. We must trust. Even when. Even if. Even there. Even in that place. Even in that situation. Even in that problem. Even everything. We must make an act of trust in our Lord’s presence and providence, right now, today. Say with me: Jesus, I trust in You. You are a good, good Father. And we place our trust in You. Love, Jenna O Antiphon: O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust! * Benedict  XVI, General Audience. Wednesday, 19 December 2012. 

Saturday, December 21, 2024 //  Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord. Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Saturday, December 21  (today!) // Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church Sunday, December 22 // Fourth Sunday of Advent Monday, December 23  // Optional Memorial of Saint John of Kanty, Priest Wednesday, December 25 // The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) (Holy Day of Obligation!) Thursday, December 26  // Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr Friday, December 27  // Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist Letter from the Editor // Dear Sister, Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and the urgency of our waiting is reaching its height. “Rouse your power and come to save us” (Psalm 80:3), our hearts will cry out with the Psalmist at Mass this weekend. We know our weakness, we know we cannot do it on our own as we plead with the Lord, “make us turn to you” (Psalm Response). In the Gospel, Mary, our Blessed Mother, travels in haste to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary is also hastening to us, bringing us her Son, the One Who will save us. Will our hearts leap as we hear her greeting? Let us respond with the faith of Elizabeth: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42).   Mary, a model for all of us, is “blessed” because she believes in the promises that were spoken to her by the angel. She responded by accepting the Lord’s will for her. And through her yes, the prophecy of Micah from the First Reading was fulfilled with Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. The author of Hebrews tells us how Christ had the same response to the Father, saying, “Behold, I come to do your will” (Hebrew 10:9). The Lord desires the same response from us, to humbly—with the Son who became Man and with His Mother—say to the Lord that we want to do His will. Let us be found among the flock this Christmas drawing on the strength of our Shepherd, Who draws His strength from the Father (see Micah 5:3). I am ready to be saved. Are you? I am praying for you this week, dear sister. In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:  First Reading // Micah 5:1-4a Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Second Reading // Hebrews 10:5-10 Gospel // Luke 1:39-45 Prayer Practice // How is the Lord inviting you to say yes in this season? Ask for Mary’s intercession to help you offer it to Jesus.

December 20, 2024 // Friday of the Third Week of Advent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Reflect on the Word // The pit in my stomach pained me. He doesn’t believe in using contraception? I was in a serious relationship with a wonderful, handsome Catholic man, and we were discerning a call to marriage. This particular day, however, I wasn’t so sure about our future, because it felt like he had just dropped a bomb on me. How could he possibly think that is a practical idea? Is he expecting me to have seventeen children!? Though a faithfully practicing Catholic myself, somehow I had never fully realized the Church’s teaching regarding contraception within marriage, and I was shocked.  “How can this be?” (Luke 1:34)  As I came to learn, study, and pray with the Church’s vision for a husband and wife and their fertility, the Lord was ever so gentle and kind. I had been naive, and saw only through the lens of our modern culture. In time I understood the Church’s teachings were an invitation to true freedom and love, not a harsh set of rules from an out-of-touch patriarchy. I had desired control and my own will. The Lord asked me to trust Him.  By His grace and in His great generosity, the Lord not only softened my heart, but changed it. When I opened myself to Him as Mary did in today’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit filled me and showed me the beauty and wisdom in the Lord’s plan for a husband and wife. I admittedly still had some reservations and anxieties, but made the choice to surrender to His request. “Nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37) —not even a change of heart on something so monumental and life-changing.  At some point in life, each of us will face moments where we feel like the Lord is asking something extraordinary of us. We may be afraid, confused, or hardhearted towards an invitation from Jesus and His Church. As we approach the Nativity in a few days, sister, let us be reminded of the precious fruit of Mary’s yes. Our dear Blessed Mother walks with us on our journey of faith, her courage and obedience the most beautiful encouragement.  Relate to the Lord // Where do you need the Lord’s grace to soften your heart? Ask Him. O Antiphon:  O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!

December 19, 2024 // Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17  Reflect on the Word // Anyone: “Here, let me help you with that!” Me: “No thanks, I’m good!” Anyone: “Oh, Sister, let me get that for you.” Me: “I can do it, thanks!” Anyone: “Let me know if you need anything.” Me: “Thanks, but I’m all set . . .” God: “Let Me take care of it for you, let Me help you, let Me . . .” Me: “Nope, I’ve got this, God . . . but thanks anyway.”  Today’s Psalm hits me like a brick: “You are my rock and my fortress [. . .] my hope, O Lord; my trust [. . .] from my youth” (Psalm 71: 3,5). I sometimes have to stop myself. Do I believe these words? Do I live them? Are my daily actions, my efforts, my strivings, those of a person who hopes in the Lord, and sings His glory, or does my life look more like an ad for Burger King—having it “my way”? It is easy for these words to roll off the tongue in response to the wonderful works God has, is, and will work, and in the next breath echo the words of Zechariah in the Gospel: “How shall I know this” (Luke 1:18)? When we make the space in our hearts and take the time to listen to Him, the Lord speaks to us in His Word. We will hear His gentle “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:13), reassuring us in our supplications and dependence on Him: “your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13). These reassurances invite a response. That response ought to be a mouth filled with praise, singing his glory. A song of entrustment to the One Who is my strength from my mother’s womb. The Lord knows it is not easy for us to surrender, to entrust ourselves to His will, but that doesn’t change Who He is. He continues to be the One Who is a “rock of refuge, a stronghold to give safety,” our “rescuer from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 71:3-4). No matter how much we may resist, He remains faithful and true. For that, my mouth shall be filled with His praise and I will sing His glory!  Relate to the Lord // How can you ask for (or accept) help today? Ask Jesus for the grace. O Antiphon: O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!

December 18, 2024 // Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Jeremiah 23:5-8 Reflect on the Word//  I slid the tiny microphone up until it locked into place and watched the sound bar register my voice as I poured out my heart to a friend. Though we live thousands of miles and an ocean apart, we leave these lengthy voice memos most days. And while we’ve never met in person, our friendship has been knit together in the Lord, a consolation to one another in the long wait for our heart’s desires.  Hope is not for the faint of heart because intrinsic to hope is waiting. We wouldn’t need hope if this would all be over tomorrow. So we need each other to remember His goodness on days that don’t feel very good—and there can be a lot of them. To remind each other what He’s done and echo back the promises we shared on brighter days to rouse hope once more. This wavering is a part of the human condition, but one that the Lord Himself has been trying to heal for generations.  When He rescued them from slavery, it didn’t take long for God’s chosen people to forget. After all, they were hungry. And then they were thirsty. And then Moses took too long to come down from the mountain, so they fashioned a golden calf from their jewelry. They wandered in the desert, surly and disobedient, for forty years; but time and time again, the Lord provided. He was faithful. He said that He would and He did.  Down through the generations, God patiently instructs His people to remember. Later Jeremiah takes up the refrain: Remember when the Lord led us out of Egypt? “Behold the days are coming” when, once again, He will deliver us from captivity (see Jeremiah 23:5,7).  The prophet promises that just as God came to the rescue then, He will come again to save His people. So, too, for us. God’s faithfulness in our past is a downpayment on His future faithfulness. And so I prophesy in hope and hit send because I trust that since He’s done it before, He’ll do it again. Relate to the Lord // Ask Jesus what hope you can prophesy today, both to a friend and to yourself. O Antiphon: O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!

December 17, 2024 // Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 1:1-17 Reflect on the Word //  I stare at those two little pink lines, unbelief sizzling under my skin. Flush begins to creep up my face and a roaring whoosh overtakes my ears. “Honey, can you come here,” I shout to my husband through the bathroom door one Friday morning before work. My hand shakes as I hand him a positive test and burst into tears.  I had finally found a rhythm with my health. I was working out every week, seeing progress in my endurance, and feeling confident in my skin again. My hormones were regulating and life was feeling comfortable and stable again. As the pregnancy progressed, my health deteriorated. Hyperemesis gravidarum wrecked my body and my spirit. I felt desolate in prayer and questioned His will for our family.  But as the weeks went by, the Lord quietly reassured me. He whispered His comfort and reminded me that in every moment, His plan perseveres. Through the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, every name, every son, every daughter had led us to Christ. It is easy to glaze over and let your eyes run over their names, but each of them was a person with a complicated life of joy, love, and suffering. The Lord needed Asaph, who “became the father of Jehoshaphat” (Matthew 1:8) and Boaz, who “became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,” the grandfather of King David (Matthew 1:6-7). All that these generations endured was for our salvation. The physical suffering during my pregnancy ended with the sweetest little baby boy, our son, and an overwhelming conviction of how many generations have led to our family. Through chance meetings, immigration, fostering, birth, marriage, poverty, and abundance in generation to generation, His will was working through time to come to this moment. We are reminded of His will throughout our lives. Each encounter, each life, each love, each friend, and each family reveals His perfect plan. We never have to question His timing. It may not be clear at the moment, but each person fits into the family of Christ. Relate to the Lord // Look for God’s loving will in each encounter today.  O Antiphon:  O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!

December 16, 2024  // Monday of the Third Week of Advent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 Reflect on the Word//  I listened to the soft tones from the piano echo down the hall. My son was at it again, playing the line repeatedly until it came together flawlessly. His persistence was not a trait inherited from me. Although we both shared a love of music and had each played piano for decades, I could never practice the way he did. Although eager to learn, as a child and an adult I was impatient with the required repetition; thus my son had quickly surpassed me as a performer.  “Teach me your ways, O Lord” (Psalm 25:4).  We learn by practicing, listening, watching, and attending to what we deem important. There are so many areas in life where I could use some intentional improvement and simple practice. Of course, I want to be a better wife and mother, more patient and loving. But mostly, I want to know the ways of the Lord. I want to know His path, way, truth, and compassion. This takes time and practice. The best way to learn is to simply spend time with Him. And this is the most simple practice to repeat. Every day the same practice—close my eyes, make the Sign of the Cross, and inhale slowly. Come to Him in prayer and open my heart to Him through Scripture. Each time, this repetitive process is entirely different and is an opportunity to learn from the Lord.  “Teach me your ways,  O Lord.”  If we want to know the ways of the Lord, we need to focus our hearts and minds on the object of our instruction. We need to sit down and practice a way of life in unity with Him, even if it means doing the same thing repeatedly until we can come together with Him flawlessly.  Relate to the Lord // What practice do you need to return to or persevere in with the Lord?

Dear Sister, I walked outside of the building during free time at a weekend retreat without any plans of where to go. Should I head to the open fields? Should I go smell the roses in the garden? Should I take a nap in my room? Should I chat with the other women? I interiorly asked the Lord, Where do You want me to go? I felt prompted to head to the little chapel just down the hallway. I walked into the chapel and sat on a chair, opened up my prayer journal, and wrote the date. “Thank You for making this happen, Lord,” I wrote. Gratitude overwhelmed me at the thought of all the things that aligned just right for me to have this sweet little weekend getaway at a retreat center in California. I struggled with what to pray about next. I heard some shuffling beside me and a few minutes later, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was placed in a monstrance on the altar. There He was. The Lord our God, Who is in our “midst, a mighty savior” (Zephaniah 3:17). I breathed out a sigh of relief that I didn’t have to conjure up my own image of Him, but instead I could just be in His midst, I could just be in His presence. No work required here, only presence. And that’s just what I needed. Presence. Not production. He invites you into this as well, Beth. He invites you into union with Him right in His presence.  Even if there isn’t an adoration chapel nearby, I encourage you, if you’re able this week, to get to the church for prayer time in front of the tabernacle. He’s there. He’s there waiting to pour out His Presence, His love, His kindness onto you and to me.  You (and I) don’t have to travel out of state to have intimacy with the God of the universe. We can receive that gift at every Mass when we consume Him in the Eucharist, and we can sit in His Eucharistic Presence at every Catholic church all around the world. No work required, no special books or prayers needed. Just you. He wants you. He wants your presence so He can pour out His. Let Him love you, dear Sister. Let our mighty savior save you from the overwhelm of your life and from the anxieties that choke you. Hand all of that over to Him so you can breathe in His Presence, His perfect peace, His mighty power. Presence, my friend. Presence and not production. Love, Jenna

Saturday, December 14, 2024 //   Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord. Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Saturday, December 14  (today!) // Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church Sunday, December 15 // Third Sunday of Advent Letter from the Editor //  Dear Sister,Tomorrow is Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, when the priest will wear rose (pink!) vestments, a liturgical color of joy. We call it gaudete because the Entrance Antiphon begins with this Latin word for “rejoice,” and the Readings all reflect the anticipatory joy of Advent. Saint Paul tells us in the Second Reading, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) This is because “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5). He comes to free us from our anxiety and fear, to bring us peace. In the Gospel, we hear from Saint John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who leapt for joy in his mother’s womb. His followers ask him what they are to do in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, and Saint John directs them to acts of generosity and charity. He gives us reason to rejoice as he promises that Jesus will baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16), giving us the grace of redemption.  The joy of this Sunday is also the Lord’s own joy. The First Reading speaks of the Lord’s generosity in coming to us, forgiving our sins, and turning away the enemies of sin and temptation. When we run to His mercy, He will “rejoice over [us] with gladness” (Zephaniah 3:17). He rejoices with us in that we are living in the story of the Lord’s great love for us, love that came down to offer us an abundance of grace. The Responsorial Psalm invites us to prepare our hearts, so that we will “draw water at the fountain of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).  Let’s drink of that water, dear sister. In Christ’s Love, Susanna   Read the Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent:  First Reading // Zephaniah 3:14-18a Responsorial Psalm // Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 Second Reading // Philippians 4:4-7 Gospel // Luke 3:10-18   Prayer Practice // As you go through your Christmas preparations, make room in your heart for the joy that comes with waiting. 

December 13, 2024 // Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 48:17-19 Reflect on the Word //  I once saw my faith as a burden, as opposed to seeing it as a gift. I was too fixated on the “rules,” instead of focusing on the intentions of the Lord’s Heart. I knew about His Heart, but I didn’t know His Heart personally. From past hurt and pain, all I could think of were the ways that I thought He was attempting to “destroy my life.” He gently and lovingly spoke to my heart, I’ve come to redeem, not destroy.  The “your” in “your redeemer,” from Isaiah 48:17,  is personal. He has a unique story of redemption for your life—a story that is a part of His redemption of Israel. His story for your life is good. You don’t have to fear the path that He’s leading you down, for He “leads you on the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17). You don’t have to prepare for the worst-case scenario. You don’t have to prepare yourself to be disappointed. Following and believing Him and what He speaks to your heart is meant to be life-giving, not life-threatening.  We’re created to be in relationship with Him, not with our fear or our doubts. He wants us to communicate our fears, pains, worries, and wounds to Him. All of that is a gift to Him. He wants to reveal the Truth to you, and speak new life into your heart.  Friend, I know how difficult it can be, but the slow work of His redemption in your life is worth it. He’s not here to only redeem a bit of you, but to redeem all of you, even the places where you feel that redemption seems impossible and even if you feel you are too far gone. Nothing is impossible for Him, and there’s not a soul that He isn’t willing and ready to restore. “Hearken to [His] commandments” (Isaiah 48:18) and you can joyfully expect redemption. The fruits of your life with Him will “be like a river” and your name will be “never cut off” from His presence (see Isaiah 48:19). Relate to the Lord // What life-giving words has Jesus spoken to your heart recently? Cherish them all over again.

December 12, 2024 // Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 1:39-47 (second option) Reflect on the Word//  It had been a tough six months filled with the usual suspects: financial uncertainty, health issues, vocational duties, fatigue in prayer. Searching for some stability, I clung to my daily Rosary. Soon after, I attended a consoling Marian retreat. Then a friend invited me to a grace-filled Marian study. Mother Mary’s presence soon seemed more tangible in every way, her companionship unmistakable. Even as my difficulties continued, I realized I was far from alone or abandoned. When I cried out in prayer for help, my attentive Mother was on the listening end—immediately responding and leading me to God’s heart.  This is the Blessed Mother’s continual mission—for all of us. Imagine the Visitation from today’s Gospel: a young Virgin Mary, hastening across the hills, pregnant with divine purpose, overflowing with Jesus’ incarnate joy and love. See her radiant smile, feel her gentle, comforting arms as they wrapped Elizabeth in their ready embrace. How delighted she is to love and serve Elizabeth, remaining at least three months.  Now imagine this same beautiful Mother 1500 years later as Our Lady of Guadalupe, still pregnant with divine purpose, hastening from Heaven to Earth and the Aztec hill of Tepeyac. How tender she is, responding to Saint Juan Diego in his great hour of need. How delighted she is to remain with his people through her miraculous imprint left on his tilma, still visible today.  Consider how she hastens to you in this same way: pregnant with purpose, spilling over with divine love. Wherever you are and whatever is burdening you, she is here and she sees. She cares. She does not delay in meeting you—her most beloved daughter—the moment you cry out. Imagine her eyes alight, her smile soft, her arms gently and capably embracing your weakness. Observe how she is not inconvenienced or exasperated by your need, but attracted to it with all the love in her heart. Feel her patience; experience her delight in remaining with you.  Hear her deep desire within the endless whisper, “Am I not here, who am your mother?” (source), and let her motherly love raise you to His healing Heart.  Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for Us.  Relate to the Lord // Pray the Rosary, a decade of the Rosary, or even one Hail Mary and ask Mary to mother you.

December 11, 2024 // Optional Memorial of Saint Damasus I, Pope Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30 Reflect on the Word//  I took a deep breath in and exhaled a long sigh of exhaustion as I heard these words again: “Mary’s got it. She’ll take care of it in no time.” I was so worn down and tired, I was just ready to stop giving. I felt like I had no more capacity to do one more thing, to help one more person, to “take care of” one more thing.  I could feel my anxiety rising and it felt like I was on the verge of tears every moment. I just wanted to rest. I just wanted to not be needed—even for a little while. My cup was empty. I brought this to the Lord, hoping maybe He would justify these feelings of frustration or this selfish feeling of not being recognized. I threw myself a little pity party—that is, until Jesus so gently interrupted it with these words: I will always give you the grace and strength to give of yourself again. I will fill your cup.  For so long, I had convinced myself that the only way I could give more of myself and feel filled up was if I took time to physically rest. Sure, that is absolutely necessary, but I forget too often to go to the One Who truly fills me.  When Jesus is speaking to the crowds at the end of Matthew 11, He offers them one gentle  invitation—“Come to me” (Matthew 11:28). Within that invitation, Jesus offers such a beautiful gift that is to rest in Him. He becomes the place in which we find rest. He wants to help us carry what is heavy (even make it light!) and find rest.  As we continue to go to Him, we will find that He offers all the grace, patience, and joy we need to give again. He fills our cup. He fills us through the Sacraments, in life-giving conversations, physical rest, and through His Word.  Relate to the Lord // Spend time resting in Jesus’ presence today. If possible, stop by a Church or adoration chapel to rest in His Real Presence. 

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14 Reflect on the Word//  Years ago we experienced the terrifying moments of thinking we had lost a child. It was a warm summer evening, and I remember watching the kids run back and forth through the kitchen window in a game of hide-and-seek as I finished preparing dinner. It wasn’t until we gathered around the table to pray that we realized someone was missing, and as everyone's gaze met each other’s, we all simultaneously realized that she had been missing for a while. Everyone figured someone else had seen her, but no one had. I’ll save you the panic—we found her. She had picked a hiding spot and had fallen asleep there.  But that isn’t the point; the point is that for a few really, really scary, fleeting moments, no one cared about anyone but her. Like the Good Shepherd, who left the ninety-nine (see Matthew 18:13), we dropped everything and searched. Dinner was forgotten, personal cares or needs were sidelined, tears started to fall, all that mattered was her. And when we found her, all sleepy eyed and out of sorts, we, like the Shepherd, all rejoiced. Our little one had been found.  Today’s Gospel has to strike a chord in each one of us. Whether we relate to seeking another or being sought, we all know the deep and powerful significance of being found. We have been found.  Not only are we humbled by the love in which we are sought, deeper than human love, deeper even than motherly or fatherly love, than sisterly or brotherly love, than tears. We are humbled at how utterly lovable we are to the Father, Who leaves all behind to come for us. In His deep and abiding love, we are found. Relate to the Lord // Ask the Lord to highlight someone you can seek out and share His love with today.

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Reflect on the Word//  I stared at the blank page of my workbook, brain gnawing at the unanswered questions before me. I had hoped that bringing these prompts to the Lord would jolt me out of the lackluster prayer that had marked the last two days of my retreat. But as I skipped through them despondently, one question stopped me in my tracks: What are your hopes and dreams for the next ten years? Suddenly it hit me: I had no idea.  In this hard season, I had gotten so accustomed to offering up the daily stresses and struggles of life that I had stopped giving myself permission to dream.   Of course, there’s beauty in abandoning ourselves to the present moment, which is where God’s will is manifested to us and holiness is found. But here’s the thing: dreaming, when guided by the Holy Spirit and united to His Heart, is a type of co-creation with God, the perfect planner and master visionary.   Long before the angel appeared to Mary, the Lord dreamed up the idea of who Mary would be. From all eternity, God chose as the mother of His Son, “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David” (Luke 1:27).  In the infinite designs of His Heart, He predestined Mary to be “full of grace” from the first moment of her existence, a privilege known as her Immaculate Conception, which we celebrate today.   As a young girl, Mary must have had a heart soaring with dreams. And yet, she stayed open to God’s designs for her life, which awakened her soul to greater dreams and desires which she didn’t even know she had. And so with a single response of faith—“Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38)—she is able to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in conceiving the Dawn of our salvation, Jesus Christ, thus fulfilling the marvelous plan God dreamed about before time began.    The Lord has a marvelous dream on His Heart for us too. We need only believe it and then allow ourselves to dream bigger. For “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Relate to the Lord // What are your hopes and dreams? Share them with the Lord (and a friend) today.

Letter from the Editor //  Dear Sister,  The Readings for Second Sunday of Advent remind us to prepare for the coming of Christ. We hear in the Gospel that Saint John the Baptist, the precursor to his cousin Jesus, is calling us all to ready ourselves for Christ’s coming through repentance. When Saint John the Baptist tells us to “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Luke 3:4), he is not talking about buying presents, baking cookies, or listening to Christmas music. He is talking about our hearts. Now is the time to heed the call to repentance and to make our hearts a fitter dwelling place for the Infant Jesus when He comes on Christmas morning. As in the words of the Responsorial Psalm, in Advent we “go forth weeping” and  “come back rejoicing” (Psalm 126:6). The Lord is coming this Christmas—He is coming to transform us out of our sinful ways and to make us like Him. He tells us in the First Reading that He wants us to “Put on the splendor of glory from God forever” (Baruch 5:1). He wants us to become one with Him forever in Heaven. Let us open our hearts to the Word this Sunday, and ask the Lord to show us how He is calling each of us to prepare our hearts for His coming. And along with Saint Paul in today’s Second Reading, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it” (Philippians 1:6). I am praying for you this week, dear sister. In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent // First Reading // Baruch 5:1-9 Psalm // Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 Second Reading // Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Gospel // Luke 3:1-6 Prayer Practice // Take a few quiet moments to ask the Lord how He’s inviting you to prepare your heart for His coming.

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 29:17-24 Reflect on the Word// I felt a bit like David as my tears soaked my pillow and I charged, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1) For an hour, I had poured out my heart before Jesus, asking Him for some direction and consolation. After I had settled, it came like a rushing wind.  But a very little while . . . He said to me. In my holy imagination, I suddenly saw myself in the midst of an orchard. The trees were bursting with varieties of fruit and the leaves rustled softly in the wind. I walked through the orchard, trying to estimate its size. But “the orchard [was] regarded as a forest” (Isaiah 29:17), and I could not see the end of it.  It was very clear to me that this orchard was on the other side of the current “lowly” state of “gloom and darkness” (Isaiah 29:19, 18) that stole my sight. It would be—quite literally—the fruit of longstanding trust in Him.  The purpose of this beautiful image was also obvious to me: an expansive, fruitful orchard would only result from God’s goodness and work. “When his children see the work of my hands in his midst”(Isaiah 29:23), reminds me that He is the Gardener. I will not be able to boast of the orchard as my own doing; on the contrary, I will walk about it in awe because the Lord has done it. He is the One Who tills and plants and waters and weeds and fertilizes His work in my soul . . . if I allow Him.  Many years later, I am still awaiting the fulfillment of His promise—my arrival to the orchard. But I don’t doubt it is coming in a very little while. In the meantime, I get to trust in Him without yet seeing the fruit—and this is purifying my love.  Sister, we are all waiting on the Lord. Whether you are in the land of promises fulfilled or struggling to trust in the land of gloom and darkness, He is present to you in either place. Both the waiting and the profits of promise offer us intimacy with Him and an opportunity to praise Him.  Relate to the Lord // Imagine your orchard with the Lord. Ask Him to make your life fruitful.

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 26:1-6 Reflect on the Word //  My shoulders tightened in anticipation of Christmas dinner. As we made the final turn into the driveway of our destination, my heart quickened, amazed at the ability of the forty-minute drive to feel like both hours and seconds, all at the same time. Thanksgiving interactions had been fiery and tearful and ultimately led to a firm setting of boundaries for future family gatherings. We laid out topics that could no longer be broached for the sake of family relationships and love for one another. This would be the first test of those boundaries.  I prayed one, slow Hail Mary before entering the house. A final deep breath, and I opened the door. And, as my feet crossed the entryway, I was met with a feeling of deep peace and consolation that could only come from God. It wasn’t that a magical switch had been flipped and everyone agreed on all things and got along perfectly, but in taking the time to intentionally ground myself in prayer and trust in the Lord’s provision, I experienced the gift of peace. The prophet Isaiah composes a beautiful image of a city surrounded by walls and ramparts, boundaries of protection and provision from God. Could this image be a reflection of the refuge God provides when we allow Him to protect our hearts? What might it look like if we utilize those walls to shut out what draws us away from God’s peace and open the gate to purposefully allow in what respects those boundaries? “A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; In peace, for its trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).  The gift of peace is available to us all, sister. No matter the season or situation, when we set our foundation in the trust of God’s goodness, God will keep us in His peace. For truly, the Lord is “an eternal Rock” on Whom we can forever rely (Isaiah 26:4). Relate to the Lord // What boundary do you need to set in order to maintain your peace today and this holiday season?