Advent – a season of renewal, of hope in a new age to come. 

The ever-moving cycle of the Church’s Year starts once more as we hear the message of hope in the light of Christ enveloping our darkened world.

It would seem there is much to dampen that hope in these dark days of mid-winter. Everything has been put into perspective by the singularly appalling violence in the land of Christ’s birth and could lead us to simply despair.  And in our own city and its environs too the mid-winter is looking increasingly bleak.  The growing number of homeless on our streets and those trapped in poverty.  The ever more hostile policy against those looking for welcome from abroad, many of whom now, after only seven days of being granted refugee status, will shamefully spill out onto our streets looking for shelter. 

This new insult to human dignity will surely mean the number of those sleeping rough, at record numbers already, will spike even more, with the shameful lack of inhabitable accommodation to give them a room at the inn.  The fight for the very survival of the planet looms too at this time as we follow Pope Francis in campaigning for environmental justice at COP 28.  So much, indeed, could lead us away from the light and leave us dwelling in the darkness of night.  

Yet for the Christian disciple we have a certain hope that God’s Kingdom of justice and peace will one day prevail. 

That must be our heartfelt prayer this Advent. 

For the Christian all action for justice and peace starts with hope in his coming Kingdom, and in heartfelt prayer for this. 

Then comes action, so necessary at this time of crisis and so much in evidence on our streets and in our communities.  This is expressed in finding ways to help concretely and to advocate for the poor, the weak and the voiceless. 

We see it in the food banks and pantries, night shelters, refugee vigils, climate vigils and marches, and in the attempt to deliver aid to Gaza and to campaigning for a just and peaceful resolution to this terrible conflict.  Such action we see around our communities, be they in schools, parishes, chaplaincies and other organisations. 

Action for justice and peace is always most effectively rooted in Christian love, which does not take sides in the conflicts but which seeks true reconciliation through dialogue, a lasting peace through which the dignity of every human person of whatever faith and nation is respected. 

The Justice and Peace network can lead the way at this time of crisis as we are schooled through the treasure of Catholic Social Teaching in the search for a lasting peace which is never achieved without justice. 

The voice of so many advocating for this peace is a vital prophetic voice which, like the great Advent voice of John the Baptist, proclaims the dawning of a new horizon of hope. 

My prayer is that this Christmas we spread something of that hope in the Kingdom to come to those around us and so proclaim the prophetic vision of true and lasting peace. 

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, 1^st December 2023
Chair, Westminster Justice and Peace