Daily Meditation for December 20, 2024

Hope is a central theme in the season of Advent and a deep longing in our hearts, perhaps now more than ever. Our troubled world brings forth great concern for a peaceful future for our country and calls us to maintain constant hope, no matter how bleak things sometimes appear. The prophet Isaiah promised that even from a seemingly dead stump a green sprout would blossom! Even though death and darkness often seem to fill our world, when we view the world with eyes of Christmas faith we are able to catch glimpses of sprouts pointing to new life within and around us. Anne Frank, who kept a diary while in hiding from Nazi persecution, wrote, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” May this Advent season bring hope to your life as you pay close attention to the many acts of goodness that surround you.

By Mary Weidner, OSB