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We didn’t know if all our waiting would be for nothing: Advent reflections

We didn’t know if all our waiting would be for nothing is an Advent conversation recorded in late 2023 with Archbishop Linda Nicholls and young adult pilgrims Robyn Sulkko and Christopher Sanford Beck. Together they reflect on the meaning of Advent as a season of waiting, hope and preparation for Christ’s coming, drawing on their pilgrimage earlier that year to biblical lands.

The discussion explores familiar Advent themes — expectation, promise and the longing for God’s kingdom in its fullness — alongside the pilgrims’ personal experiences visiting sites of Jesus’s birth, life and death. They reflect on the humanness of Jesus, the uncertainty Mary and Joseph faced and the connection between ancient waiting and their own questions during a pilgrimage they took together with other young adult pilgrims to the Holy Land in May 2023.

Recorded during a time of conflict in the region, the conversation offers a gentle invitation to consider how Advent hope speaks into times of uncertainty and how pilgrimage can deepen the Church’s prayer for peace, justice and renewal.

Suggested uses

  • Advent group study or seasonal reflection
  • Youth or adult faith formation exploring themes of waiting and hope
  • Discussion on pilgrimage, discernment and lived faith
  • Supplemental content for parish Advent programming

Key themes

  • Advent waiting, hope and preparation
  • Pilgrimage and encountering the gospel in place
  • The humanness of Jesus and the Holy Family’s journey
  • Uncertainty, resilience and trust in God
  • Reflection in times of conflict and longing for peace

Best suited for: parishes planning Advent programming, youth and young adult ministries, small groups exploring seasonal themes, Christian education leaders and individuals reflecting on Advent hope, pilgrimage and faith amid uncertainty.

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.