As the nights draw in and December approaches, the world around us seems to hurry into Christmas. Lights go up, diaries fill, and the familiar rush begins. But within the life of the Church, Advent gently invites us to move at a different pace. Rather than racing toward the festivities, Advent calls us into a season of longing and waiting — a sacred pause that helps us prepare our hearts to receive Christ anew. Advent is a time when we dare to recognise our deep need for God’