Advent
Day 9: Home
Editor’s Note: On the ninth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Emma Edwards, Associate Director of Franciscan Volunteer Ministry shares what is most necessary in fostering a home environment and how it relates to being children of God. In this season of my life, I spend a lot of…
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Day 8: Communion
Editor’s Note: On the eighth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” lay missioner Susan Sarkissian shares a moment from her faith journey when she experienced communion in a profound way. I spent decades away from my faith and the Catholic Church, and in those years, I knew an emptiness…
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Day 7: Contemplation
Editor’s Note: On the seventh day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” Br. Sam Roberts, OFM Cap. helps us understand the prayerful practice of contemplation. Contemplation is a muddy word. What does it mean? Maybe most of us imagine it being like a “deep pondering” where we can get existential…
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Day 6: Waiting
Editor’s Note: On the 6th day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” lay missioner Kim Wagner reflects on how God is with us during our various seasons of waiting. As I sit at the front desk at Casa Papa Francisco, a shelter for immigrants in El Paso, Texas, and wait…
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Day 5: Trust
Editor’s Note: On the fifth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Anahi Vega shares a reflection on letting go and trusting God. Sometimes it’s hard to trust that everything will be okay. Trust that where you are is where you are supposed to be. Trust…
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Day 4: Solidarity
Editor’s Note: On the fourth day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Grant Diego describes what solidarity entails in an intentional community. In today’s world, where individualism often takes center stage, the concept of solidarity in community living serves as a powerful reminder of the strength…
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Day 3: Go Forth
Editor’s Note: On the third day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” lay missioner Julia Pinto reflects on the various ways that God calls us to “go forth,” whether on a physical or spiritual journey. There are many times in the Bible where God asks someone to “go forth,” to…
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Day 2: Refuge
Editor’s Note: On the second day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” DC Service Corps volunteer Cecilia Gillis reminds us that we are all refugees. You may have a hard time finding a central story in the Bible that does not involve migration or movement of some kind. God’s chosen…
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Day 1: The Holy Family
Editor’s Note: On the first day of our Advent blog series, “Following the Holy Family in Solidarity,” FMS Communications Coordinator Madeline Turley shares how the Holy Family embodies the spirit of solidarity. When I contemplate the Holy Family, composed of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I describe it as extraordinary, with emphasis on both “extra” and…
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Day 16: Humility
Editor’s Note: For day 16 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Amanda MacMillan, a DCSC alumna and former house manager, reflects on the Feast of the Epiphany and contemplates how we can approach our Lord with humility. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the first visitors to the Holy Family. The…
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Day 15: Poverty
Editor’s Note: For day 15 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Ralph Anderson, a newly-commissioned missioner shares his thoughts on poverty and describes how one of his Franciscan brothers embodied this virtue. When the list for the Advent blog series topics came around, I was the last to sign up. The…
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Day 14: Stood Before the Manger
Editor’s Note: For day 14 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Executive Director Elizabeth Hughes shares farewell with the FMS family after 7 years of service to the organization. It is early Advent, and I join my friend’s 5-year-old in setting up their nativity from Cote d’Ivoire, comprised of the Holy…
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Day 13: Simplicity
Editor’s Note: For day 13 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” missioner Julia Pinto contemplates the simplicity of Jesus’ Nativity and tells the story of a simple yet meaningful encounter. God, I don’t get it.. Why a barn in some far-off village? Why not have the King of the universe born…
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Day 12: Lights
Editor’s Note: For day 12 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Darleen Pryds discusses how an icon of the Nativity has become more than a simple Advent or Christmas decoration. Years ago, a friend gave me a small icon of the Nativity. I wasn’t sure what to do with it until…
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Day 11: A New Bethlehem
Editor’s Note: For day 11 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps alumnus Sam Hardwick writes a poem that contemplates the Nativity of Jesus and how we participate in this new birth through Baptism and the Eucharist. Birth in a strange land. Joy and amazement from a message. Truth,…
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Day 10: Joy to Be Found
Editor’s Note: For day 10 of our Advent series, “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Susan Sarkissian, a newly-commissioned missioner, recounts a season in her life when God helped her experience genuine joy. Today is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. There is great joy to be had in recognizing this incredibly humble and…
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Day 9: Praise
Editor’s Note: For Day 9 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” returned missioner Anna Metzger, inspired by the lyrics of a praise and worship song, describes how she continues to praise God through changes and challenges. Before reading the following blog, I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen…
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Day 8: Solemn: An Advent that Looks Beyond the Blow-Up Santa
Editor’s Note: For day 8 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Bohdan O’Shaughnessy contemplates the solemn nature of Advent and Christmas. Admittedly, the word “solemn” is not a term I have associated with Advent or Christmas. I typically would assign “joy” or “anticipation” to describe this time…
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Day 7: Prepared
Editor’s Note: For day 7 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Grace Kueber, a DC Service Corps alumna, describes her tendency to over prepare and resolves to trust in God. I always grew up making sure I was prepared. For bad weather – dress warmly, maybe an umbrella, For traffic –…
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Day 6: Multitude
Editor’s Note: For day 6 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” lay missioner Mari Snyder uses an acrostic, a poetic device in which the first letter of each line forms a word, to describe the diverse people whom she encounters at her ministry site along the US-Mexico border. On a pilgrimage…
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Day 5: Tears
Editor’s Note: For day 5 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Madeline Turley, a DC Service Corps alumna and current blog manager, shares how a pilgrimage to the Holy Land restored her hope during a season of tears and waiting. “Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy.”…
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Day 4: Brilliant: Why Let There Be Light?
Editor’s Note: For day 4 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Jennifer Eburuoh compares the image of light disrupting darkness to the Advent season and the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation. Light can be a disturbance–even a nuisance. Many of us have experienced an interruption of sleep due…
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Day 3: Amplifies
Editor’s Note: For day 3 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,”Stephan Rochefort, the Casa San Salvador house manager, uses the imagery and the composition of The Adoration of the Magi to contemplate Jesus’ Nativity. Housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is my favorite depiction of the Nativity,…
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Day 2: Arrive
Editor’s Note: For day 2 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Noah Duclos reflects on waiting for Jesus’ arrival during Advent and notices that God always has been and always will be present in our world. An ongoing debate in the Casa community has been when it…
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Day 1: Invited
Editor’s Note: To begin our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” Associate Director Rose Hardwick shares an experience from her pilgrimage to Assisi and shows how God invited her to go deeper into a beloved Christmas tradition. “How would you like to go on a pilgrimage to Assisi as your professional development for…
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Day 12: Joyful Voice
Editor’s note: On this twelfth and final day of our Advent and Christmas blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” FMS board member Teresa Redder, OFS, reflects on the courageous persistence needed to be a joyful voice for justice in our world. Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, my husband Jeff and I enjoyed some…
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Day 11: Peace
Editor’s note: On this eleventh day of our Advent and Christmas blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” DC Service Corps volunteer Erin Frances Reinhart shares the glimpses of God’s peace that she has seen through her time with FMS and her service with Little Friends for Peace. In the poem “First Coming” by…
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Day 10: Tangles
Editor’s note: On this tenth day of our Advent and Christmas blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” Executive Director Liz Hughes offers a reflection on the tangles of her spiritual life and our world, inspired by the Madeleine L’Engle poem rooting this year’s Advent blog. Tangle. A challenge, but one that even in…
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Day 9: Born
Editor’s note: Merry Christmas! On this ninth day of our Advent and Christmas blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” DC Service Corps volunteer Sam Goodyear uses the birth of Christ to reflect on the miracle of birth itself. The season is winter, and many Christians around the world have spent weeks prior in…
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Day 8: Mystery
Editor’s note: On this eighth day of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” DC Service Corps alum Bekah Galucki finds a glimpse into the mystery of the Incarnation, when God became human, by rereading her prayer journal. The Trinity. Holiness. Faith. People. All of these (and many, many more) came to…
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Day 7: Grime
Editor’s note: On this seventh day of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” current missioner Domonique Thompson reflects on her ministry at a soup kitchen or comedor in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Instead of a transactional experience, she notices that those who come to be served find ways to serve themselves. Men, women…
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Day 6: Heal (or Not to Heal)
Editor’s note: On this sixth day of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” returned missioner Rhonda Eckerman shares the profound healing she experienced once she left her burdens at the altar with Christ. I came to FMS in August 2020 heartbroken as I had recently lost my mother and my family…
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Day 5: Tarnished
Editor’s note: On this fifth day of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” current missioner Julia Pinto explores how accepting our flaws, or what makes us tarnished, can lead to a more honest relationship with God. Tarnished? I don’t want to be tarnished! Rather than lackluster, I desire to be beautiful…
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Day 4: Ready
Editor’s note: In the fourth post of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” DC Service Corps alum Emily Dold shares a surprising moment of inspiration that challenged her faith. Dear Reader, Sometimes answers come when you least expect them. I am going to invite you into a personal, hopefully also funny-to-you,…
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Day 3: Unsteady
Editor’s note: On this third day of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” current missioner Victor Artaiz offers practices that steady him even amidst the challenges of life on mission. During my nine months here on mission in Bolivia, there are many days when I ask myself if my efforts are…
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Day 2: Wait
Editor’s note: On this second day of our Advent blog series “His Light Would Not Go Out,” DC Service Corps alum and former House Manager Amanda MacMillan shares how a newfound interest in baking is challenging her to be a more patient person who “waits with purpose.” I do not like to wait. I am…
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Day 1: His Light Would Not Go Out
Editor’s Note: We begin our Advent 2022 blog series, “His Light would not go out,” with a reflection written by our Associate Director, Rose Hardwick. Using an image from her mission experience in the Dominican Republic, she reflects on discernment as a process where God lights our way, step by step. Careening down the dark…
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Day 28: Incarnation
Editor’s Note: Merry Christmas! On this final day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” we invite you to reflect on the poem “Made Flesh” written by Luci Shaw as we celebrate the incarnation of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Made Flesh By Luci Shaw After the bright beam of hot annunciation fused…
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Day 27: Wait
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-seventh day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” Overseas Lay Missioner Rhonda Eckerman, who is serving on the US-Mexico border, reflects on finding joy, hope, and grace in seasons of waiting. As I sit in my car in line with many other cars at the entrance into the United States,…
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Day 26: Quiet
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-sixth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” FMS’ Program Director Emily Norton shares a poem she wrote about the holy waiting, quiet, and sacred preparation of a personal Advent season she is experiencing in her life right now. How stunned I am As I realize God’s invitation for me…
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Day 25: Respond
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-fifth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” we invite you to ponder the responses of Mary, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist in Luke 1:39-55 to the miracle of Mary carrying the son of God in her womb. “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill…
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Day 24: Remembrance
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-fourth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” DC Service Corps volunteer Grace Kueber shares memories of specific times of growth in her relationship with God. In honor of remembering you, I may not remember all of the moments of the day I came home from Korea, into the arms…
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Day 23: Wonder
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-third day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” DC Service Corps volunteer Lauren Barry discusses her experience with wonder and contemplation. I’ve always been curious about the world around me. When I was younger, the majority of my wonders consisted of ‘how’ questions. I would wonder: At this stage in…
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Day 22: Prophecy
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-second day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” DC Service Corps volunteer Victoria Wangler shares an original piece of prose that touches on the specific details within a person’s life at a given moment: “How small it can seem (arriving to a new life in a new city, understanding that our earthly…
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Day 21: Goodness
Editor’s Note: On this twenty-first day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” FMS’ Executive Director Liz Hughes reflects on the importance of seeing goodness in the world. Earlier this fall, Fr. Joe Nangle ended a homily in the FMS chapel with a poignant story and the reflection: “If people only knew how good they…
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Day 20: Gaze
Editor’s Note: On this twentieth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” FMS board member Teresa Redder reflects on the importance of gazing upon God’s creation with awe and wonder after a camping trip in Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota with her husband. While returning to my husband’s home state of South Dakota this…
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Day 19: Ponder
Editor’s Note: On this nineteenth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” Brigid Prosser, director of Catholic Charities Volunteer Medical Clinic, shares a poem she wrote that ponders the incarnation of Christ. Let us celebrate this season By contemplating the Incarnation The mystery of God’s humility In His unfolding of salvation. The Messiah…
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Day 18: Unknown
Editor’s Note: On this eighteenth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” Overseas Lay Missioner Julia Pinto reflects on the importance of relying on God despite the unknowns in her life, as Mary did. When Mary came to terms with the fact that the Son of God would be growing within her womb, she…
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Day 17: Humility
Editor’s Note: On this seventeenth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” Anna Metzger, who just completed her time on mission in Bolivia with FMS, shares what a bike injury taught her about humility. Nothing teaches us humility quite like the Christ child. God chose to come to earth as a baby…babies are the…
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Day 16: Promise
Editor’s Note: On this sixteenth day of our Advent blog series “Hidden Joys,” FMS Board Member Dr. Hans Dethlefs encourages us to place our hope in God’s promises. Promise is a powerful word as we await the coming of Christ during Advent. Promise is hope personified. When we receive a promise from another person, we…
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