A Real Advent: Following Fr. Benedict's Call to Love and Serve

Advent invites us to slow down, reflect, and prepare. For those who had the blessing of knowing Fr. Benedict Groeschel, may he rest in peace, his words were—and still are—a call to live the Gospel radically. A co-founder of GoodCounsel Homes, Fr. Benedict dedicated his life to the poor, the forgotten, and the most vulnerable.

In his simple yet powerful message this Advent season, Fr. Benedict reminds us that preparing for Christmas is not about receiving but about giving ourselves away. As he reflected:

“If you spend your Christmas giving yourself away, then on Christmas evening you’ll kneel down next to the Christmas crib and look at the Christ Child, and you’ll have some little part of it.”

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Fr. Benedict often emphasized that a “real Advent” is a season of prayer, scripture, and sacrifice. It is not found in the frenzy of malls but in preparing our hearts to meet Christ. He recalled fond childhood sacrifices—saving pennies for the poor, forgoing candy—and noted that joy is found not in what we get, but in what we give.

At Good Counsel, this legacy lives on. Every day, mothers and babies are nurtured, sheltered, and lifted out of poverty thanks to the spirit Fr. Benedict instilled. His words challenge us:

“Many will go without this Christmas—without a meal, a gift, or a kind word. But when we give freely of what we have, even something small, we become part of the miracle that Christ brings to the world.”

This Advent, let us follow his example. Give meals to the hungry. Support mothers who choose life. Pray. Volunteer. Escape the cycle of “the winter holiday,” and embrace the profound freedom of self-giving love.

As Fr. Benedict beautifully concluded:

“A good Advent leads to a happy Christmas.”

May we honor his memory by making this Advent a time of radical generosity and grace—because when we give of ourselves completely, we meet the Christ Child who gave Himself for us.

Consider giving of your time. talent and treasure this advent to the moms and babies in the care of Good Counsel's four maternity homes. And when these women and children awake on Christmas morning to presents wrapped under the tree, some of which have never experienced a Christmas morning, you will know you had a part of the magic. DONATE HERE TODAY