11.24.2025 | Ordinary Monday

​Grace in the Waiting, Gratitude in the Giving
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”
— Isaiah 9:2
 
It is the final week of November. The week of Thanksgiving. Winter is just around the corner, and the last of the autumn leaves are holding on as best they can until the next gust of wind comes roaring in from the west. The rains and winds have stripped many trees of their glorious color, yet a few beauties remain. A bit of grace as we move into the darkness of winter.
 
Advent is coming this weekend. The waiting begins. Waiting is what this time of year is all about. When we were small, we waited for Santa Claus. As we grew older, we waited for the New Year’s Eve party invitation. As an old gardener who is finally beginning to understand a little, I now wait for the light to return once again.
 
Advent is the season of waiting. Waiting for the story to begin again. Waiting for the child to be born and change the world once more, as that story does every year. The waiting changes us. We learn patience. We take time for reflection. We take more time to pray. As we light the candle each evening, we stop, pray, read, and remember. The light of the world is coming once again.
 
We are looking forward to Thanksgiving. A day to eat, drink a little, enjoy football, family, and friends. A day to be thankful for all the blessings we have received. Yet it is also a time to remember that not everyone has as much to be thankful for as I do. This season calls us not only to gratitude but also to generosity. Generosity in thought, in deed, and in giving. It is Thanks-giving after all.
 
In the fading light of November, we wait and we give thanks. And in the waiting, we find the promise of light returning.
 
I pray today that gratitude fills our table.
I pray that the quiet of waiting teaches patience and prayer.
I pray that the flicker of the Advent candle reminds us that the darkness is never final.
Finally, I pray that the season ahead is filled with hope, with joy, and with peace.
Amen.