The Advent season is upon us. It is a special time for us to prepare our hearts for the coming of baby Jesus and to focus on spiritually preparing for Christmas.
We have a special gift for you to help in your preparation. We are sending you today and each Friday in Advent, a special meditation on Advent that was written exclusively for us by our good friend, Dr. Michael Downey, theologian and author. We believe these beautiful meditations will help in your spiritual journey these next weeks.
The year 2020 has been a challenge in so many ways. All of us at the retreat center miss having you here. As a result of the COVID pandemic, our weekend retreat structure has changed, online retreats have been made available, and we began a new food ministry in late March to help fill the critical food needs of seniors, families, and those struggling with homelessness. We have been busy and are doing the best we can to continue, in new ways, our traditions of preaching, hospitality, and compassion for your ongoing spiritual journey.
We pray that in preparing your hearts in the coming weeks for the birth of Jesus that you find peace from the everchanging cycle of events in our country today. We also pray that time safely spent with family and friends following your Advent traditions contributes to a sense of comfort and belonging.
We ask that you keep us in your prayers as well as all the families that have experienced loss of family and friends from the pandemic and social injustices.
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.
Dr. Michael Cunningham, O.F.S.
Retreat Center Director
Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P.
Director of Passionist Retreats
