Hope On
Carrying the Virtue of Advent
Happy Feast of the Epiphany! Recently I came across the online archive of an old book, Gems from Catholic Poets, published in 1859. There were so many beautiful poems, but this one particularly struck me since we finished Advent and are now also wrapping up the Christmas season:
Hope on.
These past few months I have felt a particular weight of pain for those around me. It seems that there is endless news of suffering (miscarriages, sudden deaths, life-changing medical diagnoses, etc.). We had to cancel our Christmas plans because of the Type A flu that is sweeping across the country; it felt fitting to just slow down and remember that hope does not end on Christmas day. While we rejoice from remembering the birth of our Savior, we are never asked to stop hoping. We spent this past year celebrating the Church’s jubilee as “pilgrims of hope.” Even though it is now a new year, we carry that same virtue with us on our journeys.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the season that we commemorate Christ’s birth. He is born in the winter, and yet the flowers don’t bloom at his arrival. The wind still carries its cold bite, and the bare trees still tremble. We are still asked to walk through our own winters, but now we have the light of Christ near us to remind us we are not alone in our suffering. Spring will come, but we must hope on.
Now that Christmas is coming to a close, we march on toward Lent. May we all carry hope in our hearts!
Of Wood and Word Happenings
I hope 2026 has had it’s joyful moments for you all! It has already been a busy year for me. Some big things will be happening in the spring:
My husband is officially getting out of the Navy, and we will be moving to Charlotte, North Carolina as civilians! While I have loved living in Alabama and will be sad to leave our town, I’m so excited to see what NC has in store for us.
I will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for my next book in April, which is National Poetry Month! In order to prepare for such a fun month, I will be posting some interviews here with fellow Christian poets about their work. And of course, be on the lookout for more info that will be coming very soon about my book!
I’m so looking forward to sharing more here again; happy reading!
Through Christ,
Stephanie Petters