On the evening of December 3rd, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Greenwich Catholic School, and Regnum Christi NY Tri-State hosted Advent by Candlelight, a beautiful annual evening of reflection for women. The event was co-chaired by Sue Stone, a member of the Lumen Institute and Lisa Rooney, also a Lumen member, Regnum Christi member, and Section Director for Regnum Christi NY Tri-State.

As “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5), neither did this luminous gathering. The Greenwich Catholic School gym was transformed into an elegant banquet hall, each table uniquely decorated and graced with sumptuous meals prepared by the table hostesses. The program opened with a greeting from Ms. Rebecca Steck, Head of School at Greenwich Catholic, followed by an opening prayer and grace led by Rev. Paul Holland, S.J., Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish. Sue and Lisa welcomed the guests, reflecting on the tradition of Advent by Candlelight. As the lights dimmed, guests transitioned to their candlelit dinners, accompanied by a musical interlude from David Harris, Music Director at St. Michael’s.

The evening’s reflection, A Jubilee Advent: Waiting in the Promise with Our Blessed Mother, was led by Luly Fernandez, Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi. She invited us into the “who, what, and how” of this Jubilee Advent as we approach the culmination of the Jubilee Year of Hope, on Epiphany, January 6, 2026. The scriptural roots of “Jubilee” (Leviticus 25) speak of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and a return home. In this 2025 Holy Year, designated by Pope Francis as a time to renew ourselves as “Pilgrims of Hope,” Luly encouraged us to see Advent as a period of restoration and conversion.

Luly shared lyrics from “From Now On” from the movie The Greatest Showman, highlighting their resonance with the themes of renewal and homecoming:

And from now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What’s waited till tomorrow starts tonight
And let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on

And we will come back home
Home again

Another line, “If all was lost, there’s more I gained, ’cause it led me back to you,” offered a poignant reminder that every trial contains the invitation to return to Christ and to receive His mercy.

If we have not yet made that return, Luly encouraged us to let this Jubilee Advent be a time of coming home to Jesus—receiving His graces for conversion and responding to His call to a new way of life. She guided our reflection with the following questions:

• Like our Blessed Mother, who waited with a trusting heart for God’s promise to be fulfilled, what promise has the Lord spoken to you? How is He inviting you to wait for it with courage and steadfast hope this Advent?
• Our Blessed Mother teaches us how to wait in faith. What promise of the Lord are you being called to hold on to this season, and what would it look like for you to wait for it stoutheartedly, as she did?

Luly then introduced the concept of Dayenu. A Hebrew word meaning “it would have been enough,” Dayenu is the name of a Passover song that expresses gratitude for each of God’s saving actions in the Exodus. Even a single one of His miracles would have been “enough.” Luly invited us to cultivate a Dayenu attitude—recognizing that each grace Jesus gives is a complete gift, worthy of gratitude. She offered this further reflection question:

• In the spirit of Dayenu—recognizing that each grace God gives is “enough”—how can practicing daily gratitude open my heart to deeper hope during Advent and help me continue living and extending the graces of this Jubilee Year?

Each day, she encouraged us to ask: “What is my Dayenu prayer today? What would have been enough?”

As we journey through this Jubilee Advent and approach the close of the Jubilee Year of Hope, we turn to our Blessed Mother. Her interior freedom and confidence in God’s promises model for us how to receive His graces. We can ask her to help us recognize the promises Jesus is speaking into our own lives. Luly shared that Jesus once revealed to her His promise— “I will be with you always”—and then gently asked her whether she would recognize Him. In this season of waiting, let us make our waiting active: through prayer, listening, and openness to the ways Jesus is calling us to serve Him and others in the coming year.

Mary Smith, Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi, then led the beloved Advent by Candlelight tradition of “My Letter to Jesus.” In the busyness of this time of year, we are easily distracted from preparing our hearts for His coming. Mary invited us to write a personal letter to Jesus, asking: “What simple gift of myself can I give to Jesus this Christmas?” When we remember that Jesus sees us and loves us, offering ourselves becomes not burdensome, but deeply freeing. We encounter this most clearly in quiet moments spent with Him.

This Jubilee Advent—this season of holy waiting—let us create space for Him. Let it be a time of hopeful anticipation for both the celebration of His birth and His final coming. May we wait not passively, but with intention, reflection, and patience, preparing our minds and hearts to welcome Christ anew and to continue carrying the graces of this Jubilee Year of Hope into the days beyond.