Happy New Year! Yes, I mean it. With this First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year in our Roman Catholic Church; a fresh spiritual calendar full of promise, blessings and possibilities. Advent invites us not just to count the weeks until Christmas, but to awaken our longing for Christ who came, comes and will come again. Today, we’re not just preparing for Christmas; we’re preparing our hearts for Christ. In this reflection, let’s spell it out, A-D-V-E-N-T and give new meaning to these letters and to our spiritual life in this way:

Awake to God’s vision. In the first reading, Isaiah invites “to wake up”. Hindi puyat (not to stay up late because of the concerns of the world) but to wake up to God’s vision of the world; a world where swords become ploughshares and peace reigns. While, our world feels overwhelmed by conflict and war like in Gaza, Ukraine, Congo or South Soudan… God calls us to lift our gaze toward His promise of lasting peace. He sees the world, not as a place for war but for peace.

Deepen your discipleship. While many people are worried about what to “put on” (wear) for Christmas, St. Paul urges us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. It means that this time, is a season to renew the way we follow Christ through prayer and daily choices that reflect His love. This becomes especially urgent when we encounter poverty, injustice, or families suffering because of war or famine. True Advent discipleship expresses itself in concrete acts of compassion: a warm meal for the hungry, a kind word spoken for a broken heart…

Value what truly matters. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that life’s routines “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” can distract us from what matters. Advent is our invitation to slow down and rediscover God at the center. In a season often consumed by consumerism, we are called to choose presence over presents, relationships over bureaucracy, over rush... So, ask yourself this question: What value that really matters most, for me during this season?

Embrace the unexpected. The Lord will come “at an hour you do not expect” (Mt 24:44). Advent encourages us to welcome Christ in the surprising places of our daily life. He arrives in the weary refugee, in the lonely neighbor, in the family member who tests our patience. St. Teresa of Calcutta reminds us, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” When we embrace the unexpected opportunities to love and to serve, we discover Christ already among us.

Nurture hope in hard times. Hope is the quiet courage that trusts God’s promise even when the world shakes. At the end of this Jubilee year of hope, we need more hope rekindled in the heart of people surrounded by threats. We need to hold onto hope in the face of instability, economic uncertainty, and global conflict. Advent is a time to believe that God’s dawn is coming.

Take steps toward the Kingdom. The first reading concludes “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”. Advent is not passive waiting; it is choosing to walk, one step at a time, the path of peace, mercy, and justice. When we forgive, when we share, when we pray for those who suffer, we walk toward the Kingdom Christ promised. Each small step becomes part of God’s great work of renewal.

As we begin this holy season of ADVENT, may our hearts be filled with longing, our eyes open to God’s presence, and our lives shaped by hope. With the Church throughout the world, we pray: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!