Dear friend in Christ,

"Advent increases our hope, a hope which does not disappoint. The Lord never lets us down." Pope Francis

I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving! It's hard to believe we are so far on the year and Christmas is less than a month away.

This coming Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. It's a time of preparation for Christmas. At the monastery, the preparation isn't so much about putting up decorations, buying gifts and planning the festive menu, though we do all these things in moderation. Our focus is on living this season as a time of hopeful expectation: preparing for the celebration of Christ's birth over 2,000 years ago, trying to live out consciously what God's becoming flesh means for the way we live our lives today and being mindful that we continue to await the Second Coming. Truly, it is a time to focus on the wonder of God entering human lives and to recommit in trust that God will not let us down.

We have been truly blessed throughout the past year by your prayers, support and gifts. We are so grateful for all the different ways in which you partner with us. Working together, we are stronger and can be a real beacon of hope in a dark world. Thanks to you all for your gifts and kindness. If you are still thinking of making a gift to the sisters before the end of the year, remember that this is a good time to make a distribution from your IRA or from your donor advised fund. If you have any questions, contact Sister Nina Lasceski at (320) 363-7051 or nalasceski@csbsju.edu.