Wait in

Joyful Hope
Daily Reflections for Advent
with the Blessed Mother
• • • • •
Kathleen M. Carroll
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 Wait in
Joyful Hope
Daily Reflections for Advent
with the Blessed Mother

Kathleen M. Carroll

1
 Scripture texts in this work are taken from
the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010,
1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by
permission of the copyright owner. All Rights
Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may
be reproduced in any form without permission in
writing from the copyright owner.

Cover and book design by Mark Sullivan

Copyright ©2017, by Kathleen M. Carroll.

All rights reserved.

Published by Franciscan Media

28 W. Liberty St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
www.FranciscanMedia.org

2
 December 3—First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 63:16–17; 64:2–7; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9; Mark 13:33–37

“You do not know when the Lord of the house is

coming.” —Mark 13:33

Advent is a time of waiting. Each year we prepare

our homes and hearts to celebrate the season and
to receive the Lord anew. And each year we think
we know just when Jesus is coming, and how.
Our Mother Mary had a greater wisdom. She
shared the hope of all Israel that the messiah would
come, yet when the angel appeared and told her
that the Lord would come in an unexpected way,
she did not protest or say “not me” or “not yet.”
May we all learn to see how the Lord comes to us
and be open to his spirit.
Prayer
Lord, make us turn to you;
let us see your face and we shall be saved.
—Psalm 80:4

3
December 4—Monday of the First Week of
Advent
Isaiah 2:1–5; Matthew 8:5–11

“In no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

—Matthew 8:11

The news of the Incarnation is astounding even

today. How much more must it have been so to
this young woman as she learned that she herself
would play a central role.
Yet Mary never doubted. She acted immedi-
ately on the angel’s announcement and rushed at
once to help Elizabeth, who greeted her with the
words, “Blessed are you who believed that what
was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Prayer
I rejoiced when they said to me
Let us go to the house of the Lord.
—Psalm 122:1–2

4
 December 5—Tuesday of the First Week of
Advent
Isaiah 11:1–10; Luke 10:21–24

“Although you have hidden these things from the

wise and the learned you have revealed them to
the childlike.” —Luke 10:22

In her hymn of praise, the Magnificat, Mary rec-

ognizes the honor she has received, knowing that
she would be called blessed for all generations.
Still, she describes herself as a “lowly servant” of
the Lord.
Though the Advent season can be a time of
competition, to outspend, out-bake, and out-
decorate last year’s efforts, we should be mindful
that the greatest honor comes with the humblest
service we can render to God and our neighbor.
Prayer
He shall have pity for the lowly and poor
the lives of the poor he shall save.
—Psalm 72:13

5
 December 6—Feast of St. Nicholas
Isaiah 25:6–10; Matthew 15:29–37

“Where could we ever get enough bread in this

deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?”
—Matthew 15:33

The disciples’ complaint rings true for us at this

time of year. How can we ever meet the needs of
all those we love? How can we provide the feast,
the gifts, the holiday magic they are all expecting?
As always, Mary shows us the way. She gave
the world just one gift, but it was far more than
enough. This season, let’s make sure that we are
sharing first the gift of faith.
Prayer
The Lord is my shepherd;
…To still waters he leads me;
He restores my soul.
—Psalm 23:1, 2, 3

6
 December 7—Feast of St. Ambrose
Isaiah 26:1–6; Matthew 7:21, 24–27

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and

acts on them will be like a wise man who built his
house on rock.” —Matthew 7:24

Scripture tells us very little about Mary. Even the

names of her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anne,
come to us via tradition; they do not appear at all
in the Bible.
Yet, her few recorded words and actions make
it clear that her life was built entirely on the Lord.
She risked rejection, shame, and even death when
she assented to the Incarnation, but we never hear
a moment of doubt or hesitation. Once she knew
the will of God, she rushed to fulfill it—a very
good example for us.
Prayer
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
—Psalm 118:8

7
December 8—Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception
Genesis 3:9–15, 20; Ephesians 1:3–6, 11–12; Luke 1:26–38

“He chose us in him, before the foundation of

the world, to be holy and without blemish before
him.” —Ephesians 1:4

The Immaculate Conception is one of the least

understood doctrines of our faith. It refers, of
course, not to the virgin birth of Jesus, but to the
idea that Mary was spared from sin, even original
sin, from the moment of her conception. Like all
humans, her salvation is from Christ; she simply
had the advantage of a sort of “retroactive” salva-
tion, so she would be fully prepared for the role
God had planned for her.
Though it may be hard to accept, we each have
also been uniquely prepared for the work God has
intended for us. What gifts have you been given for
building up the kingdom of God?
Prayer
May it be done to me according to your word.
—Luke 1:38

8
December 9—Saturday of the First Week of
Advent
Isaiah 30:19–21, 23–26; Matthew 9:35—10:1, 6–8

“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are

few.” —Matthew 9:37

Often we hear (or even make) complaints about

the lack of faith in the world. But Scripture tells us
that there is no shortage of faith. Instead there is a
shortage of those who will teach it, nurture it, and
help form those looking for guidance.
The Bible is filled with stories of God choosing
unlikely characters—not the wealthy, the power-
ful, or the learned, but the humble, the meek, and,
most importantly, the willing.
Mary, ever humble, accepted a task beyond
imagining, just because she was asked. What is the
Lord asking of you today?
Prayer
Great is our Lord and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
—Psalm 147:5

9
 December 10—Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1–5, 9–11; 2 Peter 3:8–14; Mark 1:1–8

“One mightier than I is coming after me.”

—Mark 1:7

Jesus had quite the family tree. Tradition names

John the Baptist, St. Elizabeth, Sts. Joachim and
Anne, and St. Joseph among his relatives, not to
mention his Blessed Mother. Our own family
might not be quite as inspiring, and, at this time of
year, we’ll see more of them than ever.
But Jesus wasn’t holy because he had a great
family and stellar role models. Quite the opposite:
each of them was holy because of their relationship
with Jesus. We share in this same family of faith,
but we are also called to extend it to those around
us. Rather than blaming our lack of virtue on our
families, we should strive to help them achieve
greater virtue by our prayers and example.
Prayer
The Lord…is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
—2 Peter 3:9

10
December 11—Monday of the Second of the
Week of Advent
Isaiah 35:1–10; Luke 5:17–26

“But not finding a way to bring him in because of

the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered
him on the stretcher through the tiles.”
—Luke 5:19

Bishop Fulton Sheen used to tell a joke about St.

Peter getting into trouble for all the ne’er-do-wells
that were making their way into heaven. “Don’t
blame me, Lord,” St. Peter said. “Every time I close
a door, your mother opens a window.”
We have all had doors closed to us but they
needn’t be an obstacle. There is always a way to get
ourselves where we should be, whether by tearing
down walls (or through roofs) or by asking our
heavenly Mother’s reliable aid.
Prayer
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
…
he comes to save you.
—Isaiah 35:4
11
 December 12—Feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe
Zechariah 2:14–17 or Revelation 11:19; 12:1–6; Luke 1:26–38
or Luke 1:39–47

“A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon

under her feet.” —Revelation 12:1

Though interpreting Revelation is always a chal-

lenge, the similarity between this description and
the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is striking.
The miraculous image of Mary on the tilma of Juan
Diego radiates light and shows her feet borne up
on the crescent moon.
The image is still visible today, always on dis-
play at the basilica in Mexico City. Though the
region has been beset by turmoil and change (the
hill of Tepeyac where the Virgin appeared was at
that time in New Spain!), pilgrimages have been a
constant. May we recognize the constancy of Mary
amid the turmoil and changes in our own lives.
Prayer
You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
—Judith 13:18
12
 December 13—Feast of St. Lucy
Isaiah 40:25–31; Matthew 11:28–30

“Come to me, all you who labor and are bur-

dened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28

St. Lucy, patroness of light and vision, was bur-

dened by the expectations of her culture. Though
she wanted to dedicate her life and goods to the
service of God, her relatives wanted more conven-
tional security for her, suggesting she could donate
some of her wealth in a bequest. Lucy countered,
“Whatever you give away at death for the Lord’s
sake you give because you cannot take it with you.
Give now…while you are healthy, whatever you
intended to give away at your death.”
St. Lucy was martyred for refusing the wishes
of a powerful suitor.
Prayer
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
—Gospel Acclamation

13
December 14—Feast of St. John of the Cross
Isaiah 41:13–20; Matthew 11:11–15

“I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of

Israel, will not forsake them.” —Isaiah 41:17

As a Carmelite, St. John of the Cross lived a life

devoted to the quiet spirituality modeled by the
Blessed Mother. Though he was tormented by
his own order during his life, St. John has since
become regarded as one of the Carmelites’ most
praiseworthy members. The writings born out of
his suffering, including Ascent of Mt. Carmel and
the Dark Night of the Soul are recognized as epic
works on the spiritual life.
Like the Blessed Mother, though, St. John knew
that, “In the twilight of life, God will not judge us
on our earthly possessions and human successes,
but on how well we have loved.”
Prayer
The Wayfaring Virgin
Word in her womb
Comes walking your way—
Haven’t you room for your Virgin and Mother?
Haven’t you room?
—Poem of St. John of the Cross
14
December 15—Friday of the Second Week of
Advent
Isaiah 48:17–19; Matthew 11:16–19

“If you would hearken to my commandments,

your prosperity would be like a river.”
—Isaiah 48:18

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his listeners not to

judge. John the Baptist, he reminds them, was an
ascetic. He fasted and abstained from alcohol and
people said he had a demon. Jesus ate and drank
with sinners and people called him a glutton and
a drunkard.
“Wisdom is vindicated by her works,” he says,
and this is nowhere more true than in the life of
the Blessed Mother. For an unmarried woman to
have a child at that time was scandalous, yet she
was blameless, and her actions saved us all from
the scandal of sin.
Prayer
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked.
—Psalm 1:1

15
 December 16—Saturday of the Second of
the Week of Advent
Sirach 48:1–4, 9–1; Matthew 17:9, 10–13

“Elijah has already come, and they did not

recognize him.” —Matthew 17:12

Throughout Scripture, we read the stories of those

that look beyond appearances, those who recog-
nize when something unusual is happening. John
the Baptist was blessed with this gift in an extraor-
dinary way. He recognized the Messiah even before
he was born and hesitated to baptize the one who
came to baptize with fire.
Mary, too, accepted the word of the Lord that
the Messiah could come, not on clouds and with
armies, but in the guise of a helpless infant—her
helpless infant. How does the Lord come to you
today? How can you be prepared to recognize him?
Prayer
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his
paths.
—Gospel Acclamation

16
 December 17—Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 61:1–2, 10–11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24;
John 1:6–8, 19–28

“May the God of peace make you perfectly holy

and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be
preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” —1 Thessalonians 5:23

With the days before Christmas growing shorter,

we may be more mindful than usual about the
ways in which we are unprepared for the coming
of the Lord. Sometimes it is helpful to recognize
our shortcomings, but it can also be destructive.
We cannot imitate the perfect faith of Mary, and it
is too late to be sinless. We might wonder whether
we should even try.
But the Scripture quote for today was written
by St. Paul, the greatest persecutor of the early
Church before his conversion. If he can achieve
sainthood after such a beginning, it is worth it for
each of us to begin again—every day.
Prayer
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
—Luke 1:49
17
 December 18—Monday of the Third Week
of Advent
Jeremiah 23:5–8; Matthew 1:18–25

“As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall

do what is just and right in the land.”
—Jeremiah 23:5

No matter his personal feelings, when Joseph real-

ized that Mary was with child, he was a “righteous”
man. That meant, according to the Law, that he
could not take Mary as his wife. We see from his
decision to divorce her quietly and save her from
shame that he was also a kind man.
It took the intervention of an angel to convince
Joseph to marry and raise the child they named
Jesus. What signs do we need to act on behalf of
those who need our help, even if they may not
seem to “deserve” it?
Prayer
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help
him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
—Psalm 72:12–13
18
December 19—Tuesday of the Third Week of
Advent
Judges 13:2–7, 24–25; Luke 1:5–25

“But now you will be speechless and unable to

talk until the day these things take place, because
you did not believe my words, which will be
fulfilled at their proper time.” —Luke 1:7

Elizabeth is quick to see the difference between her

husband and Mary. “Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord would
be fulfilled,” she tells the Blessed Mother. Truly, at
these words, the usually quiet Mary breaks into a
song of praise so powerful that it has become part
of the daily prayer of the Church.
We know the Lord always keeps his promises.
The only thing in doubt is whether we believe
them.
Prayer
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous
deeds.
—Psalm 71:17

19
 December 20—Wednesday of the Third
Week of Advent
Isaiah 7:10–14; Luke 1:26–38

“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the

Lord. May it be done to me according to your
word.’ ” —Luke 1:38

What a model of faith! In the space of one read-

ing, Mary accepts the words of the angel. At first,
“She was greatly troubled at what was said and
pondered what sort of greeting this might be,” but
moments later she has consented to become the
mother of the Messiah.
Many of us wish we knew God’s will in our
lives. What is the grand plan? Sometimes, though,
we have already resisted God’s will—in something
seemingly small and inconsequential. Let us ask
for the grace today to accept God’s will in the
smaller things, so that we might be better prepared
to accept the larger.
Prayer
O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
—Gospel Acclamation
20
December 21—Thursday of the Third Week
of Advent
Song of Solomon 2:8–14 or Zephaniah 3:14–18; Luke 1:39–45

“Mary set out in those days and traveled to the

hill country in haste.” —Luke 1:39

The very first thing Mary does after the angel’s

announcement, according to Scripture, is to go
take care of someone else. She had heard amazing
things about herself, the salvation of her people,
the wonder of her son, and—somewhere amid all
that—she heard the news about Elizabeth. The first
question in her mind seems always to be, How can
I help?
This is good news for us, who find ourselves so
often in need of help. Just as Elizabeth found com-
fort and John found joy in the approach of Mary,
so we, too, can be assured that she is on her way to
assist us in every need, even before we ask.
Prayer
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust. 
—Psalm 33:21

21
December 22—Friday of the Third Week of
Advent
1 Samuel 1:24–28; Luke 1:46–56

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” —Luke 1:46

Each Sunday we proclaim in the liturgy that we

“wait in joyful hope” for the coming of our Lord. We
live in an age sandwiched between the Incarnation
and the second coming—and there is no way to
know if we are closer to one than the other. But
the Scriptures remind us how Israel waited for its
promised Redeemer, through exile and slavery and
destruction, for thousands of years.
But Jesus came, just as he will again one day.
And this child of Mary has come into our lives
already, but that does not mean that he will not
come again. This Christmas and anytime we look
for him, he will allow himself to be found, to lift us
up as often as we fall.
Prayer
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles.
—1 Samuel 2:8
22
December 23—Saturday of the Third Week
of Advent
Malachi 3:1–4, 23–24; Luke 1:57–66

“All who heard these things took them to heart,

saying, ‘What, then, will this child be?’ For surely
the hand of the Lord was with him.” —Luke 1:66

Today’s Gospel asks this question about John the

Baptist, and people never seemed to agree on
what to make of him. He was the sort of man that
you had to form an opinion about—madman or
prophet, spirit-filled or politically motivated. Even
Herod, who eventually had him executed, was
troubled by his words.
Even today, we wrestle with deciding who Jesus
is, and who he is for us. We may be challenged in
our understanding of Mary and her role in salva-
tion history. Our questions will never get easier,
but with patience and prayer, our faith will become
strong enough to guide us in the truth.
Prayer
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
—Psalm 25:5

23
 December 24—Fourth Sunday of Advent
2 Samuel 7:1–5, 8–12, 14, 16; Romans 16:25–27; Luke 1:26–38

“To him who can strengthen you, according to

my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery
kept secret for long ages…be glory forever
and ever. Amen.” —Romans 16:25, 27

Mary, who from the beginning pondered all these

things in her heart, shares very few words with us
through Scripture. She accepts the words of the
angel, offers a hymn of praise to God, questions the
young Jesus when she finds him in the Temple, and
makes the merest suggestion to him at the wed-
ding at Cana. Later in that wedding story, though,
she leaves us her final recorded words: “Do what-
ever he tells you.”
This is the best motherly advice, from the best
of all possible mothers.
Prayer
Nothing will be impossible for God.
—Luke 1:37

24
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