Advent reflection for 5 December

We are coming towards the official end of the Jubilee Year on 6 January 2026. This whole year has been about travelling with hope and seeking a better world, one where all people and creation can flourish.

As Pope Leo XIV comforts us:

“The word of God tells us that Christian hope is certainty at every step of life’s journey, since it does not depend on our human strength but upon the promise of God, who is always faithful.” (#4, Message for the World Day of the Poor 2025)

This is deeply reassuring, especially in those times when hope can be hard to sustain. No matter how hard life is, no matter how much we despair at the state of the world around us, we are not going through this alone. God is with us at all times. The Lord is our light and our help.

As we hold onto this hope, it strengthens us and enables us to be there for one another. It leads us to take action, to have courage and to face each day anew. Because as Pope Leo continues, “each of us is called to offer new signs of hope that will bear witness to Christian charity.”

Mariam, a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, speaks of how her faith continues to give her hope:

“I trust in God to keep sending us Good Samaritans… God doesn’t forget us. With kind people around, you can fix anything, as long as you have your health, your energy and spirit. This is all I ask of God.”

Advent prayer

God of hope,
our light and our help,
be with us always.
May the faith you have given us
and the flame of charity,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
of the coming of your kingdom.
Amen.

Act

Each of us is called to work for a better world where all people can achieve their full potential. We join in prayer for the strength to make this world a reality.

Turn in prayer to the God of hope