The first week of Advent begins the liturgical countdown to Christmas. Whereas most of society may start celebrating the sacred holiday immediately after Halloween, Catholics have a very purposeful and meaningful perspective on anticipating the coming of Christ. This first week of Advent, we celebrate with a spirit of hope: the hope that God provides through His son, Jesus Christ. During this first week of Advent, the daily Mass readings revolve heavily around prophecies of Christ’s coming. This year we hear from the prophet Daniel who states:

“One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.” -Daniel 7:13-14 

You see, even thousands of years later we are all still anticipating the birth of Christ. We still celebrate His coming and the hope it brings to our world. What’s even more significant is that we notice and appreciate the faithfulness of God. The prophets were given this promise of hope in Jesus Christ. As we know, God always delivers on His promises and as a result the world was given a true Savior. Let this first week of Advent be one of thankfulness and appreciation. Our God is faithful and fills us with hope!

**Fun fact: the first Advent candle is referred to as the Prophecy Candle, or the Candle of Hope**