Today the Church celebrates St. Francis Xavier, patron of the missions.

This man crossed oceans to bring the Gospel to Asia in the 1500s, without GPS, without airline miles, and definitely without noise-cancelling headphones.

And we complain when the parish parking lot is full.

December is packed with saints

Here’s a fun fact: there are feast days for saints all through December. Bishops, martyrs, mystics, the whole crew.

But let’s be honest, during Advent most of us are so focused on the wreath and the countdown that the saints of the day get a little… overlooked.

So we asked ourselves: why choose?

Meet Advent with the Saints

Advent with the Saints is a short daily devotion that meets right in the middle.

Every day you’ll get a brief biography of a saint and a special prayer asking for their intercession. Then you get on with your day, a little holier than before.

Think of the saints as your heavenly homies. They’ve walked this road. They know the struggle. And they’re cheering you on from the best seats in the house.

Why the saints help us prepare

Advent is a season of letting go of worldly things so we can hold on to eternal ones. That’s hard to do alone.

The saints show us it’s possible. They were real people with real problems, short tempers, bad days, and a few questionable life choices. (Looking at you, St. Augustine.)

Through their intercession, we pray that our hearts will be ready to receive Christ in a deeper way this Christmas.

A few saintly highlights this month

This year, December 6 lands on the Second Sunday of Advent, so the memorial of St. Nicholas gives way to the Sunday. But nobody’s stopping you from leaving your shoes out. Get to know the real bishop behind the legend on our St. Nicholas channel.

On December 12 we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe, and on December 14, St. John of the Cross, the mystic who teaches us to find God in the dark nights. Visit his St. John of the Cross channel too.

Start today

It only takes a few minutes, and it’s never too late to join in.

Listen to Advent with the Saints on Tabella

Follow and share

Follow Advent with the Saints on Tabella so a new saint shows up in your notifications every day.

Share it with your family, your Confirmation class, or your favorite saint nerd. (Every parish has one. They know every patron saint of every random thing. Treasure them.)

All you holy men and women, pray for us! ✨