Young adults consider Mary’s Fiat at Advent Day of Reflection in Azle
Jeff Hedglen speaks to young adults during the Young Adult Advent Day of Reflection on Dec. 6 at Holy Redeemer Parish in Azle. (NTC/Richard Rodriguez)
AZLE — With Christmas right around the corner, it is important to remember the true reason for the season of Advent.
At the Young Adult Advent Day of Reflection on Dec. 6, local Catholics between the ages of 18-35 were reminded that during this season, waiting should be considered a virtue.
About 40 people gathered at Holy Trinity Church in Azle for the event, and guest speaker Jeff Hedglen challenged attendees to consider some of the "big yeses" they have said in their own lives.
“We love to hear the word 'yes,'” Hedglen said. “But do we have the same enthusiasm when something is asked of us?”
The campus minister at the University of Texas at Arlington spoke at length about his own personal experiences with his wife and family and the yeses he has said during the season of Advent. He added that it is important to take time to reflect — a message he hopes resonated with his audience.
"I would love for everyone to have a renewed attitude of saying 'Yes' to God," Hedglen said. "Wherever they're at right now, just take a step deeper."
Hedglen has a unique way of accomplishing this goal himself, and it has made the season of Advent even more special for him and his family.
"It's one of my favorite times of year," Hedglen said. "Just trying to slow down in the midst of the secular Christmas, I try to take it slow and have an attitude of waiting. One of the things that I do each year is buy a box of cereal that I normally wouldn't eat because there is too much sugar.
"I put it on top of my refrigerator so every day I see it, and I can't eat it until Christmas. It's reminding me that this is a time of waiting. It's just a little trick that I do, but it helps me to dive into the season of waiting."
A fully decorated Christmas tree glittered behind Hedglen as young adults sat and listened to him speak, all while enjoying an assortment of muffins, pastries, coffee, and juices and taking advantage of the occasional downtime to introduce themselves and chat.
Hedglen wrapped up the Advent Reflection with a song of praise and encouraged audience members to join in.
Lucy Rojas, a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Church in Denton who works as the parish's bookkeeper assistant echoed Hedglen's sentiments and said the Day of Reflection event was special for her because of what Christmas represents.
“I felt it was a good moment because we are entering Advent,” Rojas said. “My last retreat was in October, so I felt this was a good opportunity to be close to the Lord. ... No person is more important than Jesus with the love that He gave us. We can get distracted with buying things that we don't really need, but love and forgiveness are the most important, especially with family. That's the best gift ever.”
Mason Boyd, an engineer and member of St. Philip Church in Flower Mound, helps run a young adult group at his parish and said the theme of the event was especially inspirational for him.
"The Advent season is about the second coming of God in the person of Jesus," Boyd said. "In that spirit, I would say this particular reflection got us to think about saying ‘Yes’ when He does come into our lives and reflecting on the waiting portion of that and waiting on God's call in our lives."
The retreat schedule started with an opening prayer followed by an Advent reflection led by Hedglen.
Three diocesan priests, Father Wilson Lucka at Holy Trinity, Father Ed Hopkins from St. Brendan in Stephenville, and Father Joe Keating from Holy Redeemer in Aledo, then heard confessions. The day's events wrapped up with a lunch and closing prayer.
Victoria Ramon, director of youth, young adult, and campus ministry for the Diocese of Fort Worth, said the Young Adult Advent Day of Reflection first started in 2023, and this year's theme was "Mary's Fiat," her joyful "Yes" to God when asked to be the mother of Christ by the angel Gabriel.
Ramon said she hopes the participants take away two important ideas from the reflection.
"First, it's a way to enter more deeply into the Advent season," Ramon said. "The main takeaway is to give them that opportunity. It's one of the main reasons we have it so early — the weekend right after the first Sunday of Advent, we offer this reflection.
"It gives young adults a chance to hear what the Advent season is meant to be and a couple of ways we can enter more deeply into it. And then second, it's a way for them to find community. We think we're alone on the journey a lot of times, but we're really not."