Today is 25 November and that means that this time next month we will have celebrated another Christmas day with family and friends. But what will the next four weeks be filled with? It is so easy to forget what this special season is all about and become caught up in the material elements that can come with Christmas.

The Church liturgical season of Advent begins this coming Sunday, but what does Advent mean? The word “Advent” comes from the Latin adventus meaning “coming or arrival”. It can also mean “new birth or new beginning”, hence its use for this time given to us to prepare for Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Thinking about the year that has been 2020, what a perfect way to end the year – preparing for our new beginning. Like a shaking off what this year has been, and renewing our minds, hearts, and bodies for not only the birth of Jesus but the new year ahead.

This Sunday the first purple candle will appear on the Advent wreath, this is the candle of HOPE. On reading more about hope during Advent, I came across a reading that explained that Advent is a preparation of the heart – is your heart filled with hope? Hope that tomorrow will be better than today, hope to overcome any challenges that may come your way, and when they do, do you walk in hope with Jesus?

Over the next week, try putting your hope in Jesus in the following ways –

• Hope for help – We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help
• Hope to overcome – With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles
• Hope for power – we not only need to pray for God’s strength, but we need His strength in us to do what we need to do.

 “May the God of Hope fill you all with joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13)