Based on a homily by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Every Advent, the Church asks us to stay awake, to be alert, to pay attention, not just to the world around us, but to the quiet terrain within. Last Sunday’s Gospel set the tone with a call to watchfulness. This Sunday adds the next step: repentance. And for many of us, that word arrives carrying heavy baggage. We tend to imagine repentance as a moral clean-up, a spiritual…
Based on an Advent recollection talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Advent has always carried a peculiar tenderness. While the world prepares for Christmas with noise, glitter, and speed, Advent itself prefers a quieter register. Gentle, muted, and contemplative. It is the season that invites us not into frenzy, but into stillness; not into spectacle, but into silence. There is a somber beauty to Advent, a subdued mood that asks the heart to slow its pace. In…