By Sr. Marta Piano, Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity

Jesus comes and wants to lead us deeper and further. It is such a gift and beauty to have this time of Advent and prepare ourselves to receive Him in our daily lives and be open to what has been entrusted to us.

God acts in mysterious ways that surpass our logic and reasoning:

He comes gently, silently and yet so powerfully, in times, places and situations that we less expect and imagine. Ready or not, He comes and He finds the ways to reach us.

Find Advent Reconciliation and Christmas Mass Time schedules at a number of parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon on the rcdos.ca website!

Last week I had a conversation with a dear person, who is “outside the Catholic circle” and at the end of our chat, this person said to me: “Continue to persevere!” I have to say that I was quite surprised to hear those words precisely from someone who doesn`t go to church and yet becomes a privileged instrument of God present at the right moment and place.

For me it was an important reminder of something that lately I was already understanding in my prayer and which I have translated in my own words: Persevere, look ahead, let go of what you do not need and search for what is essential in your life, missionary family and community.

Advent is a journey of conversion, where we as a Church have the opportunity to make low the mountains of our judgments and hidden fears; to level our discouragements and negativity with the Hope and Mercy He brings; and to make plain the rough places, smoothing them into kindness and peace.

How important and needed it is to prepare the way of the Lord through the sacraments, through our relations, desires, fears and daily options. On this upcoming Second Sunday of Advent John the Baptist also awakens a path within our hearts, leading us to Jesus in that constant learning of how to renounce what is not needed and seek with humbleness what is essential.

In this Advent season, when we celebrate the Immaculate Conception, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Mary’s marvelous “Yes” to God, let us cling to Mother Mary’s mantle and walk humbly with her and share in her firmness and gentleness welcoming Jesus in all the ways he comes to us. May Christ be born again in our hearts and choices.

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Sr. Marta Piano of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity joined the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon in fall 2020 as an apostolate leader taking on various assignments in ministry, in particular youth and young adult ministry through Project Timothy, and Sts. Benedict and Scholastica Formation Program along with Verbum Dei community members Sr. Malou Tibayan and Sr. Mirasol Abala.