HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND LOVE December 2025
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, born as human yet also Divine. His ministry bringing Hope to all who listen.
Hope motivates us all in our everyday lives and for Christians Hope nourishes our souls, is sustained and embodied in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We live in Hope and anticipation of God’s promises, trusting in Him.
Peace is a precious gift in our relationship with Jesus; a gift offering inner calm and strengthening our discipleship. In these times of global tribulation and unpredictability let us persevere in prayerfully seeking the Peace of God.
We feel a deep Joy as we anticipate and celebrate the birth of Jesus. This type of Joy is not the fleeting joy we may find in our daily lives, but a deep and lasting Joy based on our trust in God’s love and faithfulness, even in times of suffering.
I am constantly in awe of the immeasurable Love our Lord has for us. Humanity persists in wrecking His perfect Creation and yet He continues to love and guide us in His Way. We are commanded to love others and even when we find it almost impossible to do so, we need to be still and keep praying for discernment and courage to obey and live this command.
John 13:34
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
These wonderful Advent gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love are received through faith and prayer – the spiritual discipline we practice of communication with our Lord, eventually becoming a natural routine, leading to a deeper and stronger relationship with God. Praying in the stillness we are better able to listen as He equips and directs us to help others seek, find and follow Him. In this Advent time, let us more fully focus on our relationship with God through the practice of prayer.
Loving God, we thank you for this season of Advent and for the beauty of Your Creation. Help us to be still and attentive to your presence as we prayerfully reflect on your promises and gifts.
Forgive our human frailties Lord and speak to our hearts with clear direction, filling us afresh with your Holy Spirit that our faith is strengthened and our love for you, and for others, is evidenced in our discipleship.
Grant us discernment as we journey in faith and help us to respond to others with love, courage, compassion and commitment.
In Christ we pray. Amen.
Revd Tish Bird
John 8:12b
‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’
See previous Reflections here