St Joseph is mentioned in all the Gospels, but no words of his are ever recorded in scripture. You could say St Joseph is the strong silent type. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that when Mary was betrothed to him but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit, and Joseph since he was a righteous man, and unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly., but then an angel appeared in a dream and told him not to be afraid. St Joseph did as the Lord commanded when he awoke. It must have been a stressful situation for him. Advent can be a stressful time, but if we take St Joseph as our model, we can find some holy silence, listen for Our Lord and Not be Afraid.

Advent comes with some challenges …for us in the northern hemisphere the days are now short and dark. Another challenge especially for children is patience. Waiting for those wrapped gifts under the tree to be opened. Celebrating Advent means learning how to wait. We hear in Psalm 130 - My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for daybreak. But what if Advent is the opportunity YOU have been waiting for? That time to grow in your faith, to better know your faith, to make that commitment to a regular time of prayer each day? In the famous hymn Joy to the World. We hear the words” Let every heart prepare him room” this is not just a line directed at the innkeepers of Nazareth that had no room for in at the inn, but rather a reminder for all of us, especially at this busy time of year to turn our waiting into a time to prepare a room for God in our hearts.