Monday of the First Week of Advent

REFLECTION:

As I read the prophet Isaiah today, the opening line caught my attention and made me smile: “The Branch of the Lord will be luster and glory…” It reminded me of a recent conversation I had about the plants in our church courtyard. A few of them were simply stuck into the ground—no roots, no soil preparation, no real plan—and when the wind blew, they fell right over. Others were planted without any thought to order or purpose. I shared that I’d love to see tropical flowers or even more puakenikeni in the courtyard—plants that are intentionally placed, deeply rooted, full of color and life. Plants that serves a purpose like beautifying our church or used to leis for our celebrations. And honestly, if anyone in our parish has a green thumb and would like to help us replant and beautify that space, please let me know—I would be grateful for the help.

Isaiah uses this same kind of imagery, but he applies it to the heart of God’s people. Before this promise of a Branch, Judah was spiritually devastated. Their faith was shallow and unrooted; their worship had become routine; injustice had begun to grow like weeds; and fear of invading armies left them fragile. Their spiritual garden was barren, disordered, and neglected. Into that desolation Isaiah speaks a promise: God Himself will plant something new. From what looks dead, a Branch will sprout—a sign of new life, beauty, and hope. Ultimately, this Branch is Christ, the One who grows where sin once reigned, the One who restores what we cannot revive on our own.

As we begin Advent, this image speaks powerfully to us. Sometimes our spiritual lives resemble those loosely planted courtyard plants—present, but not rooted deeply. Maybe our prayer life has been inconsistent, maybe our faith has become routine, or maybe the winds of busyness, distraction, and stress have toppled what we tried to hold together. Advent arrives as the Church’s gentle invitation to replant our lives with intention. It is the start of a new liturgical year—a spiritual clearing and reordering of the soil—so that Christ can take root again within us.

Isaiah goes on to describe God covering His people with a canopy of cloud and fire, just as He did in the desert. It is a reminder that God not only plants new life, but protects it, nurtures it, and helps it grow. Whatever God begins in us this Advent is not fragile; it is sheltered by His presence and strengthened by His grace.

And so as we enter these holy days of anticipation, perhaps we can ask: What needs replanting in my life? What needs deeper roots? What needs pruning or rearranging? Where is God trying to bring new life? This season invites us to welcome the Branch—the Christ—into the soil of our hearts, trusting that He will grow something beautiful again.