This morning I fumbled for my Advent calendar, full of excitement, only to find… a rubber band? What is with this Advent calendar? It certainly is “unique”! A rubber band is sort of puzzling, “How is this supposed to get me into the Christmas spirit?!” But then I realized the rubber band has a lot to teach us. Its whole purpose is to stretch. It’s designed to hold things together under tension without breaking. And isn’t that what Advent often feels like? A time of stretching—not just our patience but also our faith, our hope, and our capacity to trust God.
 
The question for us today is: What stretches us? What pulls at our faith or tests our resilience? And more importantly, how do we stay flexible without snapping?
 Advent isn’t just about preparing for Christmas—it’s about preparing for Christ, both in His birth and His return in glory. That kind of preparation requires stretching, doesn’t it? Stretching our schedules to make time for prayer, stretching our hearts to welcome God more fully, and even stretching our trust to believe that the peace Isaiah describes in today’s reading—where wolves and lambs live together—is possible.
 
Sometimes we can feel like a rubber band, pulled in every direction: by work, family, and the stresses of life. But the good news is that when we rely on God, He strengthens us, giving us the resilience to endure and even to thrive.
 In the Gospel today, Jesus praises the childlike—not the worldly-wise, but those who have hearts open to God’s grace. Think about it: children are wonderfully resilient. They trust easily and bounce back quickly, even when life is hard. That’s what God asks of us during Advent: to trust Him with childlike faith, even when we feel stretched.
 Today is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron of our church in Winthrop. In the life of St. Francis Xavier we see an extraordinary example of this kind of faith the rubber band is inviting us to live. Francis didn’t start out as a saint. He was a young scholar, ambitious and self-focused, until he met St. Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius stretched him—challenging him to live for Christ instead of his own plans. And when Francis finally said “yes” to God, it changed everything.
 
He became one of the greatest missionaries in the Church’s history, traveling thousands of miles to bring the Gospel to people in India, Japan, and beyond. Talk about being stretched! He faced loneliness, cultural barriers, and physical hardships, but he didn’t snap. Why? Because his trust wasn’t in himself; it was in God. He kept his eyes on Christ, the source of his strength.
 So, what can we learn from the rubber band—and from St. Francis Xavier—this Advent?
 

• Know your source of strength. Just as Francis relied on God, we need to root ourselves in prayer and Scripture. When you feel stretched, take it to Jesus.
• Stay flexible. Life rarely goes according to plan. But like a rubber band, we’re called to adapt, trusting that God is in control.
• Don’t stretch alone. St. Francis Xavier didn’t take on his mission by himself—he relied on the support of his fellow Jesuits. In the same way, lean on your parish community and loved ones.

Isaiah’s vision of peace—where lions and lambs rest together—might seem impossible, but Advent reminds us to stay hopeful. God is at work, even when we feel pulled thin. So, the next time you see a rubber band, let it remind you: you’re stronger than you think. And with God’s grace, even the most stressful stretches can lead to something beautiful. St. Francis Xavier, pray for us. And Lord, help us stay resilient as we prepare for Your coming. Amen.