Reading: Jeremiah 23:5–8

In this Advent reflection on A Franciscan Heart in the World, we listen to Jeremiah’s promise of a “righteous branch” — new life rising in the coldest seasons — and we meet Caroline, a high-school teacher whose small, steady act of kindness becomes a green shoot of hope in a student’s difficult winter. Through her story, we’re reminded that God’s justice often grows quietly, through ordinary people who choose compassion when it would be easier to give up. If you’ve ever wondered whether your quiet efforts still matter, this episode invites us to see the hidden life God is nurturing beneath the frost.