As we enter this holy season of Advent, we are invited once again to set out on a journey—a pilgrimage of the heart—toward the mystery of Emmanuel, God-with-us. This year, as the Church celebrates the Jubilee Year, we are called to rediscover the profound grace of being pilgrims: travelers not merely across landscapes, but through the sacred terrain of the soul. Advent, in this Jubilee Year, beckons us to walk not as passive observers of tradition, but as true Pilgrims of Hope.

Advent is far more than a countdown to Christmas. It is a sacred pilgrimage—a spiritual movement from darkness into light, from longing to fulfillment, from exile to home. In this season of waiting and wonder, we walk alongside the prophets and patriarchs of old: Abraham, who journeyed in faith toward an unknown land, Moses, who led his people through the wilderness wit hope and his compass, and Isaiah, who proclaimed the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-us. We listen again to the voices of prophets and dreamers crying out, "Prepare the way of the Lord." In their company, we learn to cultivate patience, silence, and hope as we await the coming of Christ—not only in Bethlehem's past, but in the living present of our daily lives.

Their journeys were marked by trust, by waiting, and by the promise of God—echoes of our own Advent path. Like them, we are called to walk in hope, even when the road is uncertain and our current world is filled with much darkness, turbulence, and indifference to the cries of the poor and those most marginalized. The Jubilee Year amplifies this call, reminding us to live as people who are awake to the sacredness of time, to the nearness of God, and to the quiet unfolding of grace around us. As Marist Pilgrims of Hope, we must be beacons of light in our turbulent world and not be afraid to be bold in living our Marist mission, proclaiming hope where the world insists there is none. We must be people with hearts that welcome, hands that heal, and minds that dare to create and transform.

May we, as Pilgrims of Hope, prepare a place in our hearts and in our world for Christ who comes—again and always.

Br. Dan O'Riordan '85, US Provincial | Excerpt from Advent Pilgrims: a Journey of Hope

Want to learn more about the Lay Marist adult formation program? Contact Maureen Hagan at mhagan8486@gmail.com or visit the Marists of Champagnat Website.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Flickr
• YouTube