2 Minutes with the Lord

“Welcome to you. We are in Day 11 of Advent,and this is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where the ordinary moments of lifehelp our hearts prepare for Christmas.”“Today’s story begins at a dinner table…with a chair no one sat on.”“A family gathered for dinneron a cool December evening.The table was filled with warm food,soft laughter,and the familiar clatter of cutlery.But at the end of the tablestood one empty chair —left intentionally openfor a loved one they had lost earlier that year.At first, the emptiness felt heavy,as though grief itself had taken a seat.But then the father said,‘Let’s each share one memorythat makes us smile.’One by one,the family spoke —stories of joy,of love,of little things that once felt ordinarybut now felt like treasures.And slowly,the empty chair no longer felt like absence.It felt like presence —a space where love still lived.”“Advent can stir deep emotions —especially for those who are grieving,missing someone,or carrying silent heartache.We often think grief is something we should ‘fix,’or ‘get over,’or hide from others.But Advent teaches us something gentler:Love never disappears.It changes shape.It becomes memory,gratitude,and quiet companionship.Even empty chairs hold stories,and in those stories,Christ sits with us —not to take away the ache,but to transform itinto a sacred tenderness.The empty chair at your tableis not a reminder of what you lack —it is a reminder of who shaped you,loved you,and continues to live in the heart of God.”“So today, take a moment and ask yourself:‘Who is the empty chair in my life?And how can I hold their memory with love instead of pain?’Let God sit beside you in your remembering.And whisper this Advent prayer:‘Lord, bless the ones I miss…and sit with me in my grief.’This is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic.May your memories be warmed by God’s love today.”

10 Des 2min

DAY 10 — “The Dripping Tap”“Welcome again. We are in Day 10 of Advent,and this is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where simple, ordinary momentshelp prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.”“Today’s story begins in a quiet kitchen…with a tap that wouldn’t stop dripping.”“It was late at night,and the whole house was silent —except for a stubborn tap in the kitchenthat kept dripping into a metal bucket.Drip…drip…drip.At first it was irritating,a tiny sound that felt louder in the stillness.But by morning,something surprising had happened.The bucket,which had seemed so empty the night before,was now half full.Not because of a flood.Not because of a big moment.But because of tiny drops —small, steady, and unnoticed through the night —quietly filling what had felt empty.”“Grace often comes like that —not in dramatic moments,not in life-changing events,but in small dropsthat accumulate over time.A short prayer whispered before sleep.A kind word offered during a busy day.A moment of silence you carve outin the middle of noise.A gentle act of forgiveness,even if your heart isn’t ready for the whole thing yet.We underestimate these drops,but they fill the bucket of our soulwith God’s quiet presence.Advent teaches usthat holiness grows slowly,healing happens gradually,and God often works in whispersrather than thunder.Your spiritual life doesn’t need a tidal wave —it just needs consistency.One drop at a time.”“So today, pause and ask yourself:‘What small drop of grace is God giving me today?And what small drop can I offer Him in return?’Don’t seek big miracles.Just welcome the steady drip of God’s love.And whisper this Advent prayer:‘Lord, fill me slowly and faithfullywith Your quiet grace.’This is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic.May your soul be filled, drop by drop, today.”

9 Des 2min

DAY 9  “The Cold Bench in the Park”“Welcome, dear friend. We are in Day 9 of Advent,and this is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where our deepest longings meet God’s gentle presence.”“Today’s story takes place on a winter evening…at a lonely bench in the park.”“A widower walked to the same park bench every eveningeven in the cold winter months.He sat there quietly,hands folded,eyes fixed on the lake ahead.A passerby one day asked,‘Why sit here in the cold?It must be uncomfortable.’The man replied softly,‘This is where I used to sit with my wife.When I sit here,my heart remembers loveand longs for heaven.’His longing was not despair —it was love stretching toward eternity.”“Advent is the season of holy longing —the ache for God,the yearning for healing,the desire for a Savior.Longing is not a weakness;it is the soul reachingfor something only God can fill.Your longing is prayer.Your ache is an altar.Your desire for Godis already God desiring you.”“So today ask:‘What do I deeply long for in this Advent season?’Bring that longing to Christ.And whisper:‘Lord, come into the spaces my heart longs to fill.’”

8 Des 1min

DAY 8 — “The Slow Elevator”“Welcome once again. We are in Day 8 of Advent,and this is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where ordinary moments slow us downand prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.”“Today’s story comes from a place we all know…an elevator that refuses to hurry.”“It was a busy December morning in a crowded office building.People were rushing everywhere,arms full of files, phones glued to their ears,breath short with the weight of deadlines.A young man pressed the elevator button —once, twice, then rapidly again and again,as if tapping it repeatedly would somehow speed it up.An older janitor sweeping nearby chuckled softly and said,‘Pressing it ten times won’t make it come faster, son.’The young man laughed, embarrassed.Then the janitor added with a gentle wisdom,‘But don’t worry…it will still take you up —just not on your schedule.’The elevator finally arrived.And as the young man stepped in,his rushed heart slowed just a little.”“Isn’t that just like our lives?We press the buttons of our hopesagain and again and again —wanting answers now,healing now,clarity now,change now.We beg God to hurrybecause our hearts grow impatientwhen life doesn’t move at our pace.But Advent teaches usthe holy art of waiting.God does not rush,and yet He is never late.His timing may feel slow,but it always lifts usto the place we’re meant to be.The slow elevator reminds usthat upward movement still happens —even when it’s not on our timeline.”“So today, take a quiet moment and ask yourself:‘Where am I pressing too hard?What am I trying to rush that God is asking me to trust?’Let your spirit breathe.Release the impatient tapping of your heart.And whisper this prayer:‘Lord, lift me in Your time…and teach my soul to wait.’This is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic.May patience grow gently within you today.”

7 Des 2min

“Peace be upon you. We are in Day 7 of Advent,and welcome to Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where the small moments of daily lifehelp us prepare our hearts for Christmas.”“Today’s story begins on a cold winter bench…with a single forgotten glove.”“It was a freezing December afternoon.People rushed through the park,heads down, collars up, hands buried in pockets.On one bench lay a single wool glove —soaked from the snow, muddy from footprints,ignored by everyone passing by.Most didn’t even look at it.But one woman stopped.Something about that lonely glovemade her pause.She picked it up gently,brushed off the snow,and placed it on the back of the benchwhere it could be easily seen.An hour later,an elderly man hurried toward the bench,eyes scanning desperately.When he saw the glove —his glove —he exhaled like someone findinga small piece of himself again.He slipped it onto his trembling handand whispered,‘Thank God… someone cared enough to notice.’”“Sometimes we feel like that lost glove —dropped, forgotten, overlooked,sitting in life’s cold placeshoping someone cares enough to notice.There are days when we feel misplacedin our families,in our friendships,even in our own hearts.But Advent tells us this truth:God always notices.God always searches.God always draws nearto the ones who feel left behind.You are never the forgotten glove on the bench.You are the one Christ comes looking for —patiently, persistently, lovingly.And He will place you backwhere you belong,warming your spiritwith His steady presence.”“So today, take a moment and ask yourself:‘Where do I feel lost or unseen?And can I trust that God is searching for me there?’Let Him find you.Let Him lift you gently.And whisper this Advent prayer:‘Lord, thank You for noticing me when I feel forgotten.’This is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic.May you feel held, found, and warmed today.”

6 Des 2min

“Welcome again. We are in Day 6 of Advent,and this is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where ordinary moments help us prepare our hearts for Christmas.”“Today’s story comes from a woman who loved to watch…the evening sky.”“Every evening, just before supper,an elderly woman pulled her chair to the windowand watched the sunset.Her family worried about her.They thought she was lonely —just passing time staring at the sky.One day, her granddaughter asked,‘Grandma, why do you watch the sunset every day?’The old woman smiled gently and said,‘Because it reminds methat even the most beautiful thingsmust set…so something new can rise.’Her voice held no sadness —only a tender kind of wisdomthat comes from years of watching Godbring light out of darkness.”“There are sunsets in our lives too —chapters that end,relationships that shift,roles that change,dreams that fade.Some endings we choose,others break our hearts.But Advent teaches us that every endingprepares the sky for a new dawn.A part of your life may be setting right now —a season of waiting,a chapter of struggle,a hope that feels delayed.But God never lets a sunset be the last word.He uses it to soften the sky,to calm your spirit,to prepare the horizonfor something you cannot yet see.Advent is the timewhere the light is fading…but the promise is rising.”“So today, pause for a moment and ask yourself:‘What is God gently closing in my life?And what new dawn might He be preparing?’Don’t fear the sunset.Let God hold the ending.Whisper this prayer:‘Lord, bless my endings…and prepare my heart for the dawn.’This is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic.May today’s light lead you gently into hope.”

5 Des 2min

“A warm welcome to you. We are in Day 5 of Advent,and this is Tiny Advent Parables with Fr. Dominic —where simple daily stories awaken the meaning of the season.”“Today’s parable begins outside a bakery…with a man who couldn’t afford the bread.”“Every morning, a man walked past a bakery on his way to work.He never bought anything — he couldn't afford to.But he always paused, breathing in the warm, sweet smellthat made him feel human for a moment.One cold morning, the baker noticed him.The next day, a little bag sat outside the doorwith a handwritten note:‘Warmth is meant to be shared.’Inside was fresh bread —soft, warm, unexpected grace.”“Sometimes God's generosity arrivesin the simplest, most surprising ways.A kindness you didn’t expect.A moment of warmth when life feels cold.A reminder that you are seen.Advent reveals a Godwho places gifts at our doornot because we earn thembut because He loves to give.”“What unexpected gift has God placed at your door?Pray:‘Lord, open my eyes to Your generosity today.’”

4 Des 1min

4 — “The Unsent Letter”“Grace and peace to you. We are in Day 4 of Advent,and welcome to Tiny Advent Parables with me Fr. Dominic —a moment where ordinary storiesopen our hearts to the meaning of this holy season.”“Today’s parable begins with a quiet table…and a letter that was never posted.”“A widow had a ritual every December.She wrote a letter to her late husband —not to send it,but to release whatever she carried that year.This December, she sat down to write…but the words refused to come.Her grief felt heavier than ink.So she placed her hands on the blank pageand simply sat in silence.Minutes passed.Then, in the stillness,she felt something warm —a presence beside her,a quiet companionship she hadn’t felt in months.She realized the letter didn’t need words.Her heart needed stillness.And in that silence,God had entered the room.”“Some seasons of life leave us speechless.Grief does that.Confusion does that.Loneliness does that.We force ourselves to ‘move on,’‘be strong,’‘write the next chapter.’But Advent teaches us something gentler:Healing often beginsnot when we speak…but when we sit with God in quiet honesty.Your unsent letters,your unfinished prayers,your unspoken sorrows —these are not failures.They are sacred spaces where Christ desires to come close.Advent is not about perfect wordsbut about welcoming God into the wordless placesof your heart.”“So today, take a moment and ask yourself:‘Where do I need God to simply sit with me?’Don’t force the words.Just offer Him the silence.And whisper this prayer:‘Lord, meet me in the places I cannot express.’This is Tiny Advent Parables with me Fr. Dominic.May God sit gently beside you today.”

3 Des 1min