1 DEC
December 16
The Least of These; Serving the Vulnerable
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:40
Reflection
Advent is a time for reflection and the practice of compassion. The message from Matthew “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me,” highlights the importance of caring for others.
Narratives of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew reveal His humble origins. Born in a stable, surrounded by animals, Jesus is the exemplar that embodies the Franciscan value of Minority. Francis’ desire to share an experience of Christ’s Minority was the whole point of the Christmas liturgy in the cave of Greccio.
Franciscan Minority challenges societal norms and categories that often prioritize success, status, and material possessions. Instead, it invites people to find joy in simplicity and to appreciate the beauty of everyday life. It encourages everyone to recognize their own limitations and acknowledge the dignity of every person, regardless of their social status or circumstances.
How might we practice Minority this Advent?
Charlie McCarron TSSF
Minister Provincial Americas
Reflective Action
MAKE SPACE FOR SOMEONE
Today, intentionally make space for someone who carries unseen burdens, especially women or caregivers. This could mean taking on a task they usually shoulder, writing a note of thanks, or offering to cook a meal or give them space for rest.
If you are one who labours much for others, give yourself permission to pause.
Sit with a cup of tea, light a candle, and name (aloud or silently) the women or companions whose care has sustained you.
Give thanks.
Let this be a sacred sabbath of remembering and restoring.
Franciscan Quote
“Christ is the one whose brightness illuminates the mind darkened by sin, whose flame burns away ignorance and warms the heart with the fire of divine love.”
St. Bonaventure
(Journey of the Mind into God, Prologue)
Prayer
Christ of the quiet hearth,
bles the women who
have carried this season.
Make room for their rest,
and in us, make room for justice, shared work,
and tables where
no one is forgotten.
CULTURAL insight
In Ireland, Epiphany – January 6th – is traditionally known as Nollaig na mBan, or Women’s Christmas. Rooted in rural communities, this day marked a well-earned pause for women after the long, labour-intensive season of Advent and Christmas. While men took over household chores for the day – cooking, cleaning, and tending to the fire – women visited one another’s homes, shared stories, laughed, and rested. It was a quiet, communal sabbath of sorts, born from the deeply practical and emotional need for respite and connection.
Though some have critiqued the tradition as offering women only “what’s left – the end of the Christmas cake or a fleeting holiday at the tail end of the season – many Irish women today are reclaiming Nollaig na mBan as a celebration of solidarity, resilience, and renewal. Hotels and cafés now host Women’s Christmas teas and gatherings, echoing the original spirit of making space for one another. In the light of Epiphany, Nollaig na mBan invites a different kind of revelation: that Christ is found not only in gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but in cups of tea, shared laughter, and small acts of mutual care. It reminds us that the long labour of love must be met with rest, and that true celebration is communal, not solitary.
Ted TSSF
Ireland
Making Room
“You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Matthew 25:40
developmental markers
week 25
In the womb
- Around 34-35 cm (13.5-14 in), about the size of a cauliflower
- Weighs around 660-700 grams (1.5 lbs)
- Lungs begin moving rhythmically – preparing for air after birth
- Strong and audible via stethoscope
- Developing rapidly; beginnings of REM sleep and possible dreaming
- Kicks, rolls, and stretches are strong; baby may respond to familiar sounds and touch
in the mother
- May feel more frequent and stronger baby movements, including hiccups
- Uterus is about the size of a soccer ball
- Common experiences include heartburn, fatigue, or sleep disruption
- Bonding deepens as the baby’s patterns become more familiar
- Spiritual reflections may focus on preparation –welcoming, nesting, trusting
reflection
We imagine her hand resting on her belly, feeling the press of tiny feet. We picture the quiet moments when she listens not to words, but to life stirring deep within. She makes space in her body for him, for the one who will change everything.
And now, in our time and place, we are called to do the same. To make room not in the womb, but in our homes, our hearts, our lives. To stretch beyond what is comfortable. To prepare for the holy, not only in the wonder of Christmas Day, but in the long, quiet days of waiting.
We remember that the Christ child comes hidden first in the womb – growing slowly, silently, unseen by most. Holiness takes time to take shape. God’s coming often begins in what feels small or unnoticed: the steady breathing of hope, the quiet heartbeat of trust, the unseen work of love preparing room
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Come into our waiting
and our wondering.
wonderings:
how we are being invited to make room for Christ in hidden or unexpected places this Advent
what small, unseen movements of hope or love we might already notice growing within or around us
Journaling Prompts
If you keep an Advent Journal, here are some ideas you could write about;
Jesus tells us that when we serve the hungry, the sick, and the imprisoned, we are serving Him.
Reflect and write: Who are “the least of these” in my community right now?
When have I overlooked Christ in someone in need?
What one action – small or bol – can I take to serve someone vulnerable this week?
Complete this sentence in your journal:
“Today I choose to see Christ in…”
Let it guide your compassion into concrete care.
Ireland
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