Yesterday, we celebrated Gaudete Sunday--the third Sunday of Advent. We rejoice in having to come to know the Lord. We rejoice that God has chosen us, undeserving as we are, to be His very own sons and daughters. Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) reminds us that as Christians, we ought not to be glum, sullen, sad people. Rather, we are filled with joy knowing how loved we are by God.

Consider this Advent how gracious, how good God has been to us. Yes, we have setbacks. Yes, we have difficulties. Yes, thing don't always go the way we want or hope. Yet, the Lord blesses us in so many ways. Let Advent be a time of giving thanks for all the ways God blesses us.

The first of the Advent candles has been lit as we prepare for the coming of the Lord at Christmas. We are told to prepare for the Lord, to open our hearts to receive the Lord more fully into our lives. Unlike the shepherds who went to the manger and encountered the person of Christ, we encounter the Lord in God's Word.

We enter the Holy Season of Advent this weekend, December 1-2. These four weeks of waiting and preparation are meant to encourage us to prepare for the coming of the Lord more deeply into our lives. The lighting of the Advent candles each week stir our expectation for the coming of the Messiah.

Catholic Extension has selected Sister Willem to receive the 2018-2019 Lumen Christi Award, the highest honor bestowed on a missionary working in the United States. Working across many countries, Sister Willem has been serving the poor for more than 60 years. She believes strong families are the foundation of the Church and society.