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The first candle has been lit - Hope.

Laudato Si’ encourages us to “ Be attentive to how yourself and others suffer from the ecological crisis, and consider how Advent is a time foundational to Christian hope which encourages both contemplation and action for the whole of creation.”

Advent - a time of preparation. A time to pause and reflect as we await Christ’s re-birth in the world. We take time to reflect on our readiness to have Christ born anew in our hearts but also to consider how we might prepare for and participate in a re-birth of our earth. The above image is taken from an Advent Calendar created by Sister Liz Weimers of the Good Samaritan Sisters. It was created with Creation and the universe story in mind.

You are encouraged to download the calendar for your own meditation.

You may also want to sign up for this Simplicity Challenge from the Ignatian Solidarity Network:

Dear God, our Creator,

You revealed your love to us and creation once and for all through the coming of our

Savior, Jesus Christ. By the grace of Your Creator Spirit, teach us to celebrate our faith

in the Incarnation that took place in creation.

Dear Jesus, Savior of creation, we ask that You may be born in us once again as we

seek to cultivate hope for our common home. As Your followers, teach us to care for

the dignity of all human beings and all creation, now and in the future.

In a season too often marked by overconsumption and excess, let us give thanks and

honor the goodness of all your gifts in the natural world. Help us to contemplate the

mystery of creation as we celebrate the mystery of incarnation.

We pray for today’s victims of global warming, both human and nonhuman. We pray for

more ambition in the energy transition, in this country and globally. We pray for our

governments to negotiate a global and fair phase-out of fossil fuels.

And, finally, we pray for the courage to be prophets of our time, calling upon our

leaders to bear fruits of ecological justice.

Come Emmanuel! Make us ever more hopeful people for a hopeful planet. Let us be

part of Your light of hope to the world.

Amen.