There was a story of a man who was deeply devoted to St Joseph and when he died he was at the gates of heaven and being interviewed by St Peter. St Peter, after assessing the record of this man declined him entry to heaven straightaway, but the man argued that he was a St Joseph devotee. Then, at the gate appeared St Joseph.

As the Vatican Christmas tree and Nativity Scene adorned a St Peter’s Square filled with faithful this week, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of Advent as a time of preparation to welcome the birth of Christ.

He offered the encouragement in his various greetings to pilgrims from different language groups during the Wednesday General Audience on December 17.

Advent and Christmas have been celebrated in a variety of different ways across the SVD Australia Province, from multicultural carols to Christmas lights, concerts to shared meals and gifts – all with the common theme of highlighting the nativity of Jesus Christ.

From the Indigenous communities in the Tiwi Islands, Central Australia, and Balgo to city suburbs in Australia and New Zealand and across to villages in Thailand and Myanmar, the Province has expressed a range of different cultural celebrations of Christmas.

The SVD Queensland District gathered recently for its annual five-day retreat — described as a precious time of spiritual renewal, reflection, and fraternity.

The retreat took place at the Santa Teresa Retreat Centre in Brisbane last month under the theme, ‘SVD Mission Collaboration’.

The Divine Word Missionaries played an active role in the recent Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne by sharing the SVD missionary charism with young Catholics, promoting vocations, and gaining inspiration from them, as well.

Province Vocations Director Fr Yon Wiryono SVD attended with seminarians from Dorish Maru College and for the first time, the SVD collaborated with the Indonesian Catholic Community in Melbourne, highlighting the value in lay people and Religious working together to promote vocations.

The SVD Australia Province has a new Provincial Council to help provide collaborative leadership over the next three years.

The new Provincial Councillors were recently appointed by the SVD Generalate in Rome, following their nomination at the local level.

As Advent draws us onward towards the coming of Jesus at Christmas, I take this opportunity to wish everyone the hope and much-needed peace of the season.

And, as this will be my last message as Provincial, I also wish to thank everyone who journeyed with me and supported the Divine Word Missionaries over the last six years. I have been reminded again and again that we never walk alone when we walk in faith.

Today’s first reading gives us an image of the Kingdom of Heaven which we require to aim at every moment of our life. The second reading today comes from the Letter of James and recommends us all to be patient for the coming of the Kingdom of God.