A pastoral message for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has shared this message for the Fourth Week of Advent.
In our first reading on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Lord invites Ahaz to “ask God for a sign.”
It’s a remarkable moment, because it comes from the book of the prophet Isaiah — whose words about the coming Messiah have been our steady companions throughout these four weeks of Advent. Isaiah speaks in a moment of fear, uncertainty and political turmoil. Ahaz, the king of Judah, ruled for about 16 years in eighth century B.C. He was young and inexperienced, and Scripture remembers him as a wicked ruler — someone who had allowed his heart to drift far from the God of his ancestors.
Yet even to him, God extends an invitation. Through Isaiah, God tries to break through Ahaz’s fear and stubbornness, to remind him — and all of Judah — that God is faithful to the promise made to David. That same promise echoes in today’s Gospel: that a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and that this child will save the people from their sins — from their confusion, their wandering, their self‑destruction.
Ahaz refuses the invitation because he knows that faith requires change, and change requires courage. He doesn’t want the responsibility that comes with believing. But God, in his mercy, gives the sign anyway. And then the people of God wait — generation after generation — for more than seven centuries until the promise is fulfilled in the house and lineage of David. The Messiah would indeed come from David’s line.
If we are honest, we know that we, too, have asked God for signs: Give me a sign, Lord, if this is the right path… the right person… the right job… the right vocation… the right decision… the right faith… We ask because we long for clarity, for reassurance, for something solid to stand on when life feels uncertain.
But the truth is, God surrounds us with signs constantly — whether we ask for them or not. The problem is not God’s silence; it is often our lack of attention, or our reluctance to see what is right in front of us.
One of the most gentle and reliable signs God gives is the gift of peace of mind and heart. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict; it is the quiet conviction that God is with us — Emmanuel. It is the same peace Christ offered his apostles again and again in the Gospels. And the Church teaches that peace is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, a sign that God is at work within us.
We hear the Gospels proclaimed week after week. The Church continues to teach, to guide, to speak across the centuries. Our lives are filled with good people whose example, wisdom and kindness point us toward God. What more signs do we truly need?
Christ brings peace to the human heart simply by his presence. And when peace is missing, it is often a sign that something in us needs attention, healing, or redirection.
The virgin did conceive and bear a son, and his name is Jesus. He came to save us from our sins. The sign promised to Isaiah — and longed for by the people of the Old Testament — has been fulfilled.
At Christmas, we celebrate not only a moment in human history, but a truth that shapes our entire existence. Jesus is both the sign promised and the sign fulfilled. Everything he said, taught and did reveals how we are meant to live. And he established his Church as a living sign of his presence: to teach, to guide and to accompany us until the end of time.
So, we must ask ourselves: Are we at peace — in our minds, in our hearts, in our families, in our world? Do we recognize the signs of Christ’s presence, or do we still need to deepen our faith, our trust, our hope?
In the great and dramatic moments of life, as well as in the small, ordinary ones, the signs we seek are already there. God is not hiding. He is not silent. He is Emmanuel — God with us.
Open your eyes. Open your heart. See the signs. Come, Lord Jesus.
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Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has shared this message for the Third Week of Advent.
Today the Church invites us into the radiant joy of “Gaudete Sunday,” a name drawn from the ancient entrance antiphon for the Third Sunday of Advent that urges us to rejoice. Advent is a season of longing, of holy waiting, but on this Third Sunday the Church gently opens the door and lets the light of Christmas spill into our hearts. We rejoice because the Lord is near. We rejoice because the Savior once again draws close. We rejoice because God’s compassion and love are not distant promises but living realities.
Advent is the doorway to the joy of Christmas — the joy of knowing that God chose to dwell among us, to walk with us, to redeem us. As we move toward the great feast of the Nativity, the Church opens wide her doors to every person of faith, inviting all to enter the joy of the Lord and make themselves at home.
Our first reading brings us the voice of Isaiah, the great dreamer of Israel. He lived in troubled times of spiritual confusion, social division and deep discouragement. Yet Isaiah dared to proclaim what could be, should be and would be when God’s people turned their hearts back to him. He saw deserts blooming, weak hands strengthened, fearful hearts calmed and all beholding the glory of God.
It does not take much imagination to see how Isaiah’s message speaks to our own age. We, too, know seasons of dryness, anxiety, uncertainty and even fear. Yet the prophet reminds us that God’s future is always larger than our present struggles. As I have written and preached often during this Jubilee Year, hope is not naïve optimism — it is the conviction that God is faithful.
Today’s Scriptures weave a golden thread:
Isaiah’s promise of renewal — a world transformed when God’s people return to him
The psalmist’s trust — confidence that God turns hardship into salvation
James’ call to patience — faith that endures, strengthens and shows compassion
John the Baptist’s witness — pointing us to Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah
As we celebrate “Gaudete Sunday,” let us allow joy to take root in us — not the fleeting joy the world offers, but the deep, steady joy that comes from knowing Christ. Let this joy confront and overcome our fears, soften our judgments, strengthen our patience, deepen our compassion and renew our hope.
And as we continue our Advent journey toward Christmas throughout this week, I invite you to:
Seek moments of quiet each day to welcome the Lord into your heart.
Offer encouragement to someone who is struggling or discouraged.
Practice patience in the spirit of St. James, especially in stressful moments.
Notice signs of God’s presence in the ordinary routines of your life.
Rejoice intentionally — choose gratitude, choose kindness, choose hope.
May the God who makes deserts bloom also renew your heart. May the joy of “Gaudete Sunday” accompany you through the week. And may the coming feast of Christmas find you ready to welcome Christ with a heart full of faith, hope and joy.
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has shared this message for the Second Week of Advent.
On this Second Sunday of Advent, the Word of God opens before us a horizon filled with hope, mercy, and divine possibility. Through the prophet Isaiah we hear a promise powerful enough to stir even the weariest heart: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” What a breathtaking reminder that God brings life precisely where we see only endings. When the world appears cut down or emptied of promise, God is already at work—quietly, faithfully—bringing forth renewal. Upon this promised One rests the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and strength. In Him, justice and peace will embrace, and even the wolf and the lamb will dwell together. Advent dares us to believe that God’s dream for humanity is far greater than anything we can achieve on our own.
The responsorial psalm carries that promise forward: “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.” Advent, then, is not a passive wait. It is an awakening—an active longing for the world God desires. It is the season when we lift our eyes toward a future where the poor are defended, the vulnerable protected, and every heart finds the peace it was made for. This is the peace we ready ourselves to welcome—not only into our private prayer, but into the fabric of our families, our parish, and our wider community.
Saint Paul, writing to the Romans, reminds us that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Hope does not come cheaply; it takes endurance, humility, and the courage to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. Advent is therefore never a solitary journey. It is the Church—one body—moving together toward the Light. We prepare not only for our own hearts to be changed, but for our community to be renewed, strengthened, and united in praise of the God who saves.
Today’s Gospel from Saint Matthew sets before us the austere figure of John the Baptist, a lone voice rising from the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John’s cry breaks through our complacency. He asks us to take a hard look at ourselves—our habits, our priorities, our excuses—and to turn again toward the One who comes. Advent is our invitation to clear the clutter of sin, to uproot what is lifeless, and to welcome the grace that arrives like fire: purifying, illuminating, transforming. Through John, the old world leans toward the new, and we are reminded that the Messiah is near—closer to us than we often dare to imagine.
The very word Advent—adventus, “coming”—reminds us that we live in a world visited by God. Christ has come in history at Bethlehem; He comes in mystery through the sacraments and the quiet movements of grace; and He will come in majesty at the end of time. This season calls us to slow down, to make room, to let the Word take root. In a culture that rushes headlong toward Christmas, Advent gently but firmly teaches us a different rhythm: to wait with purpose, to prepare with joy, and to hope with unshakable faith.
Let Isaiah’s vision of harmony, the psalmist’s promise of peace, Paul’s encouragement toward unity, and John’s call to conversion shape our hearts in these holy days. May we allow Christ to clothe us in justice, steady us in peace, and fill us with a love that grows ever more discerning. And as our lives bear the fruits of repentance and mercy, may we prepare not only for the feast of Christmas, but for the eternal dwelling of the One whose glory fills the earth as water covers the sea.
May this Advent be for you and your families a season of deep renewal, healing reconciliation, and radiant hope. Let us walk this path together, preparing the way of the Lord, until all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has shared this message for the First Week of Advent.
“Stay awake, for you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)
As we enter the holy season of Advent, the Church invites us once again to lift our eyes toward the horizon of hope. Advent is far more than a countdown to Christmas; it is a sacred journey of expectation, preparation, and renewal. It is a time when the People of God pause long enough to remember that our lives are guided not by chance, but by promise—God’s promise to remain with us and to come to us anew.
A Season of Watchfulness
On this First Sunday of Advent, Jesus calls us to stay awake. His words are not meant to instill fear but to awaken desire—holy attentiveness to the quiet ways in which Christ is already at work in our lives. In a world crowded with noise, activity, and distraction, Advent gently whispers: Slow down. Breathe. Pay attention. If we allow ourselves to be still, we may discover that God’s light is already breaking through places where we least expected it.
The first week of Advent gives us three invitations.
First, “Awaken Hope”
Hope, the theme of this Jubilee Year, is the first candle we light, the first grace we receive. To awaken hope is to trust that God is faithful, even when circumstances feel uncertain. This week, let us rekindle hope in our families, workplaces, and communities—through encouraging words, gestures of patience, or simply by choosing to believe that God is not finished with us yet.
Next, “Practice Watchfulness”
Advent watchfulness is active, not passive. It is the watchfulness of love, which is attuned to the needs of others, ready to respond with compassion. We stay awake when we listen to those who feel unheard, reach out to those who feel unseen, and stand alongside those who feel forgotten. Every act of kindness becomes a doorway where Christ enters.
Finally, “Prepare Room”
Just as Mary opened her heart to receive the Word made flesh, we too are called to make room for Christ. Preparing room may require letting go of resentment, extending forgiveness, or creating moments of silence for prayer. When we clear even a small space within us, God fills it with grace far beyond what we could imagine.
Advent provides Light in the Darkness
The candles of the Advent wreath remind us that even the smallest flame can pierce the deepest night. As we light the first candle this week, may it become a sign of our readiness to welcome Christ—not only in the joyful celebration of Christmas, but in every moment where love is needed, justice is demanded, and mercy is possible.
Walking Together in Hope
Let us journey through this week with hearts awakened, eyes lifted, and spirits eager. Christ is coming—He always comes. He comes in our prayer, in our neighbor, in our longing for holiness, and in the quiet courage of hope.
May we be found ready, joyful, and radiant with His light.