Designed to help people wait for the three comings of Jesus—in the past, in the present, and in the future, Waiting in Joyful Hope may be used by individuals for daily private reflection and prayer.

The title Waiting in Joyful Hope comes from the prayer after the Our Father during Mass. After petitioning the Lord to deliver us from evil and to grant us peace, the presider says, “In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” The prayer signifies the three aspects of waiting for the Lord to come that Christians embrace during the Advent season.

Each day’s six-part exercise is designed to be used by busy people who want to keep the days of Advent using a short, five-minute process. The title for each exercise is the focus for the day’s topic of reflection, meditation, and prayer. All of the Scriptures of the Mass for each day are noted. A few verses of Scripture are taken from the day’s gospel. A reflection follows the gospel selection and expands on an idea or an image found in the verse from the gospel. A question for personal meditation guides the reader in making a personal application of the reflection. A prayer summarizes the theme developed in the previous parts of the exercise.

The devout observance of Advent points us to the Lord’s first coming in history, enables us to reflect on his second coming in our lives today, and points us toward his third coming in glory. Throughout Advent we discover that we are always waiting in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord.