Holy Spirit Parish in Stevens Point, Wisconsin shared a note from the pastor on the coming of our Lord and the season of Advent. 

“Our new year of faith begins with the cry: 'Stay Awake!' And being 'awake' is standing in hope that the Lord, the Prince of Peace, will come. To fall asleep is to be distracted, to give our hearts to lesser things and become filled with worry, anxiety and even fear,” Rev. Steven Brice wrote.

It is common for the troubles of this life to distract and make us forget the importance of the eternal life and world to come. But it is so important for us to remember that it is our duty to work for justice in this world and be the hands and feet of Christ for a world that needs him. 

“But we cannot do so without hearts full of peace and hope. We must continually move back and forth from the inner world to outer and from outer world to inner,” Rev. Brice wrote. 

This month, as we are already underway with our Advent season, let us remember to be still and wait for our Lord with joyous hearts. 

“We begin this first week of Advent looking at our schedules and commitments and asking: Are they keeping us awake or putting us to sleep? This time when our routines and activities are largely put on hold by COVID, gives us a rare opportunity to put our lives together in a new way. What would a life that seeks God’s peace above all else look like?” Rev. Brice wrote.

The church has put together small 20-minute home Advent Service videos for each week of Advent, designed to help bring even young children into experiencing the joy of the tradition. 

“My goal is to increase that silence a little each week. Maybe by Christmas families can be comfortable with several minutes of silence. It was in silence that divine life filled a human being that first Christmas,” Rev. Brice wrote.