{"id":5235,"date":"2025-11-27T21:32:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T21:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/?p=5235"},"modified":"2025-12-26T21:36:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T21:36:39","slug":"first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"First Sunday of Advent: A Maryknoll Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By James H. Kroeger, M.M.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday, November 30, 2025
Is. 2:1-5 | Rom. 13:11-14| Matt. 24: 37-44<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. \u2014 <\/em>Matthew 24:42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our three scripture readings for this first Sunday of Advent overflow with rich imagery that alerts us to be vigilant and make this a truly holy season. It is a time to walk with God by seeking peace, throwing off the works of darkness, and staying awake, always ready to meet the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prophet Isaiah foresees that all nations will come to the Lord\u2019s mountain, hear God\u2019s word, respond by beating their swords into plowshares, and never train for war again. A touching presentation of this profound vision is seen on the grounds of the United Nations in New York where one can see the dramatic bronze statue<\/a> of a man hammering his sword into a tool for tilling the land, symbolizing the mission of the UN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul\u2019s letter to the Romans encourages us to awake from sleep because it is a new day; we are to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. In a word, we are to \u201cput on the Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d In Matthew\u2019s Gospel, Jesus presents examples of the need to be spiritually alert: most people missed the coming flood in Noah\u2019s time and the thief in the night catches the owner of the house unaware. Their lack of preparedness had disastrous results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our beloved Pope Francis<\/a> pointed out that \u201cJesus, many times in his preaching, cautions us to be vigilant, to hold vigil, and keep watch.\u201d Francis added that on one occasion, \u201cJesus advised watchfulness, \u2018for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.\u2019\u201d Indeed, \u2018vigilance\u2019 should be practiced \u2018in relation to the coming of the Lord.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On other occasions, Jesus emphasized the importance of \u2018being prepared,\u2019 for example, in the case of the ten maidens<\/a>\u2014both the prudent ones and those who were imprudent or unprepared. The former \u2018had everything prepared, even the oil for the lamps\u2019; the latter, however, were complacent, \u2018without a thought to being prepared\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authentic watchfulness and preparedness demand concrete action on our part. We ask ourselves: Where and when am I sleepy and complacent? How can I turn my attention into concrete service for the needy, especially migrants and refugees?<\/a> What actions can each of us take to become a vocal advocate for peace and disarmament?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we begin a new liturgical year, we see Jesus in today\u2019s Gospel being insistent. As expressed by Pope Francis, Jesus constantly advises \u201cwatchfulness, prayer and vigilance in order to avoid temptation.\u201d Francis also refers to the example of Jesus instructing his disciples in the garden of olives. \u201cThey fell asleep.\u201d However, Jesus told them \u2014 and us \u2014 to \u201cwatch and pray that you may not enter into temptation\u201d (Mt 26:41). Heartfelt blessings for an fruitful Advent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryknoll Father James H. Kroeger served in mission in Asia for over five decades. He is the author of <\/em>Walking with Pope Francis: The Official Documents in Everyday Language (Orbis Books \u2013 2023) and <\/em>A Joyful Journey with Pope Francis (Faith Alive Books \u2014 2024). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured image: Photo of the bronze statue entitled \u201cLet us Beat Swords into Ploughshares\u201d in the United Nations garden in New York City, New York, by United Nations and licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (United Nations\/Flickr<\/a>\/USA)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n
\n

Questions for Reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In what ways are you \u201csleepy and complacent\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you turn your attention into \u201cconcrete service for the needy\u201d?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Prayer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Loving God, You call us to share your love. As a
new missionary age opens, where the frontiers of
mission are no longer solely geographical, but also
structural, caging people into lives dominated by
poverty and suffering, help us to be missionaries of
hope with a vision for justice and peace for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspire us to open our arms and hearts to migrant
brothers and sisters fleeing violence and fear. May
we never meet their anguish with cold indifference
or discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move us to honor their human dignity above all
else. Teach us that true mission is remaining with
those who are suffering. Inspire us to proclaim
Christ\u2019s mercy and love through hospitality,
compassion, and solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strengthen our faith to be welcoming missionaries
of hope. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Susan Gunn,<\/a> Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service<\/p>\n

BEIRUT (CNS) \u2014 Even in the face of difficulties and the constant threat of war, the young people of Lebanon and the country\u2019s religious leaders have enormous resources that can build a better future for all people, Pope Leo XIV said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe true opposition to evil is not evil, but love, a love capable of healing one\u2019s own wounds while also caring for the wounds of others,\u201d he said Dec. 1 as he met thousands of young people outside the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerk\u00e9, overlooking Beirut.<\/p>\n

Pope Leo met the 15,000 young people after meeting their elders \u2014 representatives of the country\u2019s Christian, Muslim, Druze and Alawite communities \u2014 in Beirut\u2019s Martyrs\u2019 Square, which honors those who fought for Lebanon\u2019s independence and were executed there in 1916. The martyrs came from every religious community.<\/p>\n

At their meeting, the young people posed two questions to the pope: How to preserve one\u2019s inner peace and hope \u201cin a country deprived of stability, whether in terms of security or economy\u201d; and how can people keep their families, marriages and friendships solid in a world dominated by the digital and ephemeral.<\/p>\n

Pope Leo told them to look for good examples around them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDraw from the good roots of those dedicated to serving society without using it for their own interests,\u201d he said. \u201cWith a generous commitment to justice, plan together for a future of peace and development. Be the source of hope that the country is waiting for!\u201d
\nRenewal begins with \u2018small gestures\u2019<\/p>\n

For Christians, the pope said, Jesus is the first person to look to for help both with peace and with relationships because both require love.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf our ego is at the center of a friendship or loving relationship, it cannot bear fruit,\u201d he said. \u201cSimilarly, it is not true love if we only love temporarily, as long as the feeling lasts: if love has a time limit, it is not truly love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love and charity express God\u2019s presence in the world \u201cmore than anything else,\u201d the pope told them. \u201cCharity speaks a universal language, because it speaks to every heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pope Leo encouraged them to look at the example of their peers who have not been discouraged \u201cby injustices and negative examples, even those found within the church. Instead, they have tried to forge new paths in search of the kingdom of God and its justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDrawing on the strength you receive from Christ, build a better world than the one you inherited,\u201d he told them, and make friends with people from different cultures and religions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe true renewal that a young heart desires begins with everyday gestures: welcoming those near and far, offering a hand to friends and refugees and forgiving enemies \u2014 a difficult but necessary task,\u201d Pope Leo said.
\nWomen crucial to peacemaking<\/p>\n

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan welcomed the pope to the ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs\u2019 Square, telling him: \u201cWith the grace of the Almighty, the Heavenly Father, according to us Christians, and of the Almighty Allah Ta\u2019ala, according to our Muslim brothers and sisters, we commit ourselves to walking together, always inspired by the hope that never disappoints, to become builders of true peace in Lebanon and in all the countries of the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pope Leo was also welcomed by leaders of the country\u2019s Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities, the spiritual leader of the Druze, the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches and the president of the Evangelical Christian community.<\/p>\n

All of those who spoke were men, but the audience included many women involved in peacemaking and dialogue.<\/p>\n

Mireille Hamouche, a Greek Orthodox woman married to a Maronite, is part of the Women\u2019s Peacebuilding Network of Lebanon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can assure you that behind the curtains and behind the scenes, the real actors and activists of peace are mainly women,\u201d she told Catholic News Service. \u201cThis has been the case throughout history because, obviously, after each war, you have more women than men left in a society,\u201d and they are the ones who must \u201cheal a society\u201d when the fighting is over.
\nPope Leo told leaders to be \u2018builders of peace\u2019<\/p>\n

In a tent in the shadow of the Mohammad Al Amin Mosque in Beirut, Pope Leo told the leaders that the central role of faith in the life of Lebanon is obvious.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear friends, your presence here today, in this remarkable place where minarets and church bell towers stand side by side, yet both reach skyward, testifies to the enduring faith of this land and the steadfast devotion of its people to the one God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pope prayed that every toll of the bell and every call to prayer would \u201cblend into a single, soaring hymn \u2014 not only to glorify the merciful Creator of heaven and earth, but also to lift a heartfelt prayer for the divine gift of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Too often, he said, when people think of the Middle East, they think of ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet,\u201d Pope Leo said, \u201cin the midst of these struggles, a sense of hopefulness and encouragement can be found when we focus on what unites us: our common humanity, and our belief in a God of love and mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream,\u201d he said, \u201cthe people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions, stand as a powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word, and that unity, reconciliation, and peace are possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pope Leo told them that religious leaders must be \u201cbuilders of peace: to confront intolerance, overcome violence, and banish exclusion, illuminating the path toward justice and concord for all, through the witness of your faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Featured image: Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Sheikh Ali Kaddour, head of the Alawi Islamic Council in Lebanon during an ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs\u2019 Square in Beirut, Lebanon, Dec. 1, 2025. (CNS\/Lola Gomez)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":5236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_eb_data_table":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1053,1052],"tags":[327,1424,698,547,1307,1427,1426,396,1425,1428],"class_list":["post-5235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-scripture-reflections","tag-advent","tag-first-day-of-advent-2025","tag-maryknoll-father-james-h-kroeger","tag-pope-francis","tag-reflections-of-the-scriptures","tag-ten-maidens","tag-the-son-of-man-is-coming","tag-united-nations","tag-vigilance","tag-woke"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFirst Sunday of Advent: A Maryknoll Reflection - Maryknoll Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"First Sunday of Advent: A Maryknoll Reflection - Maryknoll Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service BEIRUT (CNS) \u2014 Even in the face of difficulties and the constant threat of war, the young people of Lebanon and the country\u2019s religious leaders have enormous resources that can build a better future for all people, Pope Leo XIV said. \u201cThe true opposition to evil is not evil, but love, a love capable of healing one\u2019s own wounds while also caring for the wounds of others,\u201d he said Dec. 1 as he met thousands of young people outside the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerk\u00e9, overlooking Beirut. Pope Leo met the 15,000 young people after meeting their elders \u2014 representatives of the country\u2019s Christian, Muslim, Druze and Alawite communities \u2014 in Beirut\u2019s Martyrs\u2019 Square, which honors those who fought for Lebanon\u2019s independence and were executed there in 1916. The martyrs came from every religious community. At their meeting, the young people posed two questions to the pope: How to preserve one\u2019s inner peace and hope \u201cin a country deprived of stability, whether in terms of security or economy\u201d; and how can people keep their families, marriages and friendships solid in a world dominated by the digital and ephemeral. Pope Leo told them to look for good examples around them. \u201cDraw from the good roots of those dedicated to serving society without using it for their own interests,\u201d he said. \u201cWith a generous commitment to justice, plan together for a future of peace and development. Be the source of hope that the country is waiting for!\u201d Renewal begins with \u2018small gestures\u2019 For Christians, the pope said, Jesus is the first person to look to for help both with peace and with relationships because both require love. \u201cIf our ego is at the center of a friendship or loving relationship, it cannot bear fruit,\u201d he said. \u201cSimilarly, it is not true love if we only love temporarily, as long as the feeling lasts: if love has a time limit, it is not truly love.\u201d Love and charity express God\u2019s presence in the world \u201cmore than anything else,\u201d the pope told them. \u201cCharity speaks a universal language, because it speaks to every heart.\u201d Pope Leo encouraged them to look at the example of their peers who have not been discouraged \u201cby injustices and negative examples, even those found within the church. Instead, they have tried to forge new paths in search of the kingdom of God and its justice.\u201d \u201cDrawing on the strength you receive from Christ, build a better world than the one you inherited,\u201d he told them, and make friends with people from different cultures and religions. \u201cThe true renewal that a young heart desires begins with everyday gestures: welcoming those near and far, offering a hand to friends and refugees and forgiving enemies \u2014 a difficult but necessary task,\u201d Pope Leo said. Women crucial to peacemaking Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan welcomed the pope to the ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs\u2019 Square, telling him: \u201cWith the grace of the Almighty, the Heavenly Father, according to us Christians, and of the Almighty Allah Ta\u2019ala, according to our Muslim brothers and sisters, we commit ourselves to walking together, always inspired by the hope that never disappoints, to become builders of true peace in Lebanon and in all the countries of the Middle East.\u201d Pope Leo was also welcomed by leaders of the country\u2019s Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities, the spiritual leader of the Druze, the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches and the president of the Evangelical Christian community. All of those who spoke were men, but the audience included many women involved in peacemaking and dialogue. Mireille Hamouche, a Greek Orthodox woman married to a Maronite, is part of the Women\u2019s Peacebuilding Network of Lebanon. \u201cI can assure you that behind the curtains and behind the scenes, the real actors and activists of peace are mainly women,\u201d she told Catholic News Service. \u201cThis has been the case throughout history because, obviously, after each war, you have more women than men left in a society,\u201d and they are the ones who must \u201cheal a society\u201d when the fighting is over. Pope Leo told leaders to be \u2018builders of peace\u2019 In a tent in the shadow of the Mohammad Al Amin Mosque in Beirut, Pope Leo told the leaders that the central role of faith in the life of Lebanon is obvious. \u201cDear friends, your presence here today, in this remarkable place where minarets and church bell towers stand side by side, yet both reach skyward, testifies to the enduring faith of this land and the steadfast devotion of its people to the one God.\u201d The pope prayed that every toll of the bell and every call to prayer would \u201cblend into a single, soaring hymn \u2014 not only to glorify the merciful Creator of heaven and earth, but also to lift a heartfelt prayer for the divine gift of peace.\u201d Too often, he said, when people think of the Middle East, they think of ongoing conflict. \u201cYet,\u201d Pope Leo said, \u201cin the midst of these struggles, a sense of hopefulness and encouragement can be found when we focus on what unites us: our common humanity, and our belief in a God of love and mercy.\u201d \u201cIn an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream,\u201d he said, \u201cthe people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions, stand as a powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word, and that unity, reconciliation, and peace are possible.\u201d Pope Leo told them that religious leaders must be \u201cbuilders of peace: to confront intolerance, overcome violence, and banish exclusion, illuminating the path toward justice and concord for all, through the witness of your faith.\u201d Featured image: Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Sheikh Ali Kaddour, head of the Alawi Islamic Council in Lebanon during an ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs\u2019 Square in Beirut, Lebanon, Dec. 1, 2025. 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Visit www.maryknollogc.org.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/author\/maryknollofficeforglobalconcerns\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"First Sunday of Advent: A Maryknoll Reflection - Maryknoll Magazine","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"First Sunday of Advent: A Maryknoll Reflection - Maryknoll Magazine","og_description":"By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service BEIRUT (CNS) \u2014 Even in the face of difficulties and the constant threat of war, the young people of Lebanon and the country\u2019s religious leaders have enormous resources that can build a better future for all people, Pope Leo XIV said. \u201cThe true opposition to evil is not evil, but love, a love capable of healing one\u2019s own wounds while also caring for the wounds of others,\u201d he said Dec. 1 as he met thousands of young people outside the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerk\u00e9, overlooking Beirut. Pope Leo met the 15,000 young people after meeting their elders \u2014 representatives of the country\u2019s Christian, Muslim, Druze and Alawite communities \u2014 in Beirut\u2019s Martyrs\u2019 Square, which honors those who fought for Lebanon\u2019s independence and were executed there in 1916. The martyrs came from every religious community. At their meeting, the young people posed two questions to the pope: How to preserve one\u2019s inner peace and hope \u201cin a country deprived of stability, whether in terms of security or economy\u201d; and how can people keep their families, marriages and friendships solid in a world dominated by the digital and ephemeral. Pope Leo told them to look for good examples around them. \u201cDraw from the good roots of those dedicated to serving society without using it for their own interests,\u201d he said. \u201cWith a generous commitment to justice, plan together for a future of peace and development. Be the source of hope that the country is waiting for!\u201d Renewal begins with \u2018small gestures\u2019 For Christians, the pope said, Jesus is the first person to look to for help both with peace and with relationships because both require love. \u201cIf our ego is at the center of a friendship or loving relationship, it cannot bear fruit,\u201d he said. \u201cSimilarly, it is not true love if we only love temporarily, as long as the feeling lasts: if love has a time limit, it is not truly love.\u201d Love and charity express God\u2019s presence in the world \u201cmore than anything else,\u201d the pope told them. \u201cCharity speaks a universal language, because it speaks to every heart.\u201d Pope Leo encouraged them to look at the example of their peers who have not been discouraged \u201cby injustices and negative examples, even those found within the church. Instead, they have tried to forge new paths in search of the kingdom of God and its justice.\u201d \u201cDrawing on the strength you receive from Christ, build a better world than the one you inherited,\u201d he told them, and make friends with people from different cultures and religions. \u201cThe true renewal that a young heart desires begins with everyday gestures: welcoming those near and far, offering a hand to friends and refugees and forgiving enemies \u2014 a difficult but necessary task,\u201d Pope Leo said. Women crucial to peacemaking Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan welcomed the pope to the ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs\u2019 Square, telling him: \u201cWith the grace of the Almighty, the Heavenly Father, according to us Christians, and of the Almighty Allah Ta\u2019ala, according to our Muslim brothers and sisters, we commit ourselves to walking together, always inspired by the hope that never disappoints, to become builders of true peace in Lebanon and in all the countries of the Middle East.\u201d Pope Leo was also welcomed by leaders of the country\u2019s Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities, the spiritual leader of the Druze, the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches and the president of the Evangelical Christian community. All of those who spoke were men, but the audience included many women involved in peacemaking and dialogue. Mireille Hamouche, a Greek Orthodox woman married to a Maronite, is part of the Women\u2019s Peacebuilding Network of Lebanon. \u201cI can assure you that behind the curtains and behind the scenes, the real actors and activists of peace are mainly women,\u201d she told Catholic News Service. \u201cThis has been the case throughout history because, obviously, after each war, you have more women than men left in a society,\u201d and they are the ones who must \u201cheal a society\u201d when the fighting is over. Pope Leo told leaders to be \u2018builders of peace\u2019 In a tent in the shadow of the Mohammad Al Amin Mosque in Beirut, Pope Leo told the leaders that the central role of faith in the life of Lebanon is obvious. \u201cDear friends, your presence here today, in this remarkable place where minarets and church bell towers stand side by side, yet both reach skyward, testifies to the enduring faith of this land and the steadfast devotion of its people to the one God.\u201d The pope prayed that every toll of the bell and every call to prayer would \u201cblend into a single, soaring hymn \u2014 not only to glorify the merciful Creator of heaven and earth, but also to lift a heartfelt prayer for the divine gift of peace.\u201d Too often, he said, when people think of the Middle East, they think of ongoing conflict. \u201cYet,\u201d Pope Leo said, \u201cin the midst of these struggles, a sense of hopefulness and encouragement can be found when we focus on what unites us: our common humanity, and our belief in a God of love and mercy.\u201d \u201cIn an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream,\u201d he said, \u201cthe people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions, stand as a powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word, and that unity, reconciliation, and peace are possible.\u201d Pope Leo told them that religious leaders must be \u201cbuilders of peace: to confront intolerance, overcome violence, and banish exclusion, illuminating the path toward justice and concord for all, through the witness of your faith.\u201d Featured image: Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Sheikh Ali Kaddour, head of the Alawi Islamic Council in Lebanon during an ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Martyrs\u2019 Square in Beirut, Lebanon, Dec. 1, 2025. (CNS\/Lola Gomez)","og_url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection\/","og_site_name":"Maryknoll Magazine","article_published_time":"2025-11-27T21:32:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-26T21:36:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1120,"height":689,"url":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/MOGC-reflection.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection\/"},"author":{"name":"Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns","@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/81e5035d9b7520436e135ed727ac7d9b"},"headline":"First Sunday of Advent: A Maryknoll Reflection","datePublished":"2025-11-27T21:32:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-26T21:36:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection\/"},"wordCount":726,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/first-sunday-of-advent-a-maryknoll-reflection\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dev.maryknollsociety.org\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/MOGC-reflection.jpg","keywords":["Advent","First Day of Advent 2025","Maryknoll Father James H. 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