Advent Begins: A Season Shaped by Hope — Issue 12

As we enter Advent, the beginning of the Church year, we step into a season that invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and pay attention to the quiet ways God is at work. Advent begins with a single, steady theme: HOPE.

This week in Chapel, we heard readings from the Gospel of Matthew and Paul’s letter to the Romans. At first glance, both passages can feel intense. Matthew calls us to stay awake and to be attentive, while Paul urges us to “put on the armour of light.” Yet beneath these strong images lies a simple truth: hope transforms how we live right now.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ call to stay awake is not about fear. It is an invitation to awareness. He encourages us to notice the goodness already breaking into our lives, often in small, easily overlooked ways. That message speaks clearly into our lives here at King’s-Edgehill School. With the busy rhythm of classes, activities, commitments, and expectations, it becomes easy to slip into autopilot. Advent interrupts that cycle and reminds us not to miss what matters.

Hope is found not only in grand moments, but in the ordinary ones: a supportive friend, an unexpected kindness, a fresh start we didn’t see coming. These moments of hope are signs that God is near.

Paul gives us another image to hold onto: the armour of light, which is “hope.” This is not passive. It isn’t sitting back and waiting for everything to magically improve. Hope is lived. It is practiced. It is expressed in choices that reflect character, compassion, and courage. At KES, the armour of light might look like choosing honesty in our work, fairness in how we compete, or patience when stress feels heavy. It might look like being the one who includes someone left on the margins, or refusing to participate in conversations that hurt rather than heal.

Advent begins in darkness not to overwhelm us, but to remind us that even the smallest light pushes it back. When we light the first Advent candle, we are not pretending the world, and our School, has no challenges. Instead, we are declaring that God’s light is stronger, and that each of us is invited to carry that light into our community.

Hope does not deny difficulty. Hope insists that God is present within it. Hope believes that newness is possible. Hope trusts that we are not stuck, that God is still shaping us and guiding us.

As we begin this sacred season, may we become a community that practices hope with intention. May we pay attention to the goodness around us, choose light in our daily decisions, and trust that God is at work in ways we can see and in ways we cannot.

May this Advent awaken us, steady us, and lead us toward a deeper, truer hope.

With every blessing,

Madre Greer
School Chaplain
dlgreer@kes.ns.ca

Please come and join us on Sunday, November 23, for the Service of Holy Eucharist at 7:00 pm. This service is held at the Hensley Memorial Chapel.