This week’s Advent topic is on hope; hope of the promises to come.   All around the world, Catholic Churches have begun this new season by lighting the first Advent candle, the “Prophecy Candle.” This candle represents hope and the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises. As we enter into the season of Advent, let us first focus on the hope found through the birth of Christ. May we acknowledge how good our Father is by keeping His promises made through the prophets which foretold the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. According to the Catholic liturgical calendar, the first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of a new year. So happy new year to you! As we do around January 1st, this first week of Advent is a great time to refocus our minds and our hearts on the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. We are now in a time of waiting and deep anticipation to celebrate the first coming of the Word made flesh. From Isaiah to Micah and Jeremiah to Zechariah, among others, the Messiah’s coming was foretold over 40 times in the Old Testament and fulfilled over 40 times in the New Testament through Jesus. Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God. If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list. We are also available on all social media platforms. If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/theprayerpodcast. Thank you and may God bless you!