Dear Friends,

Here we are in Advent, the beginning of the new liturgical year, and oh boy, are we ready for a fresh start.

After a year which began with bushfires in Australia, then floods and of course the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are weary and are looking to turn the page.

Advent is the perfect season to slow down and re-set.

While the rest of the world speeds up as Christmas approaches, getting the Christmas shopping done and finishing up all the end-of-year tasks that need to be done, Christians are asked in their spiritual life to slow down and tune in. We are urged to be alert.

Advent is a time for reflection, for waiting. It is a time to delve deeper into the Word of God as the readings prepare us to receive the great gift of Christmas, when “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.

It is a time when we examine our hearts and ask if we are prepared to welcome the Prince of Peace in our lives, and if not, then what can we do, prayerfully and practically, to make those preparations. It is a time to gently reach out to others, especially the poor, the suffering, and those on the margins.

This year, more than ever, after months of isolation, displacement from family and friends, disruption to ministry, work, school, worship and social gatherings, Advent invites us to let go of the tension we have been carrying, to stop and breathe and drink deeply from the well of our salvation.

May this Advent bring you a rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit. May its beautiful Scripture readings uplift, engage, and challenge you afresh. And may we all arrive at Christmas more ready than ever to welcome the Christ child and to share in the upbuilding of His Kingdom.

Yours in the Word,

Fr Asaeli Rass SVD,

Provincial.