ADVENT WEEK 1: THE CANDLE OF HOPE

Christmas is coming! There are loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart.

The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts as we prepare our homes — to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! At the start of this week, we light the first of the four candles in the Advent wreath: the candle of Hope.

Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectations for tomorrow dwindle, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside?

In one word, the answer to confident expectation is “JESUS" — the Jesus of Christmas.

Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that he was once a baby in a manger. This hope in him has been called “an anchor for the soul.” It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life.

Mater Dolorosa Church

Sunday 10th December after the 10am Mass

St John Vianney Co-Cathedral

Tuesday 12th December after the 9.30am Mass

St Brigid’s Church

Thursday 14th December after the 9.30am Mass

St Francis Xavier Cathedral

Friday 15th December 11am –12pm (2nd Rite)

Friday 15th December 6pm – 7pm

Every Saturday 11am – 12pm