This coming Sunday, December 3, is the first Sunday of Advent and the start of a whole new Church Year. These days leading up to Christmas and beyond can feel overwhelming: spiritually, emotionally, all of it. So, it’s tempting to say, Haven’t we already done this? What more do I have to learn from these stories? I’m going to sit this one out.

Today’s guest, Joe Durepos, is a story expert. He’s worked in publishing for more the four decades: as a bookseller, a sales rep, a literary agent and an acquisitions editor. He helped launch Fr. Jim Martin’s bestselling book, My Life with the Saints, and Mother Teresa’s No Greater Love. He’s worked with countless other incredible authors, including Becky Eldredge, Fr. Richard Rohr, Chris Lowney, Joy Loverde and many more. He retired from Loyola Press in 2018 and was inducted into the Association of Catholic Publishers Hall of Fame in 2019. Now, he spends his time coaching writers through his own agency, Durepos Literary.

But Joe doesn’t just read and edit authors; he’s an author himself. And his new work, 2024: A Book of Grace-Filled Days, is the antidote we need to the complacency we might find ourselves in during this season of Advent. Joe shares with us what it was like to prayerfully write a whole year’s worth of reflections, what he learned for his own spiritual life and what we might learn, too, as a result.

Today, as you listen to Joe share about his own prayer journey, I invite you to consider your own. What might you add during these Advent days? How might the Spirit be inviting you to prepare anew for the coming of Christ?

One suggestion: Sign up for our daily Advent reflections. Just head over to Jesuits.org/advent. And while you’re cruising around the internet, pick up a copy of Joe’s book—I’ve linked to it in the episode description, as well as info on Durepos Literary.

Just a note on today’s episode: We recorded last week, November 21, so when Joe mentions the readings of the day, that’s the day in question.

Sign up for our Advent reflections: https://jesuits.org/advent

Learn more about Joe’s current work: https://www.dureposliterary.com/

Get a copy of 2024: A Book of Grace-Filled Days: https://store.loyolapress.com/2024-a-book-of-grace-filled-days?quantity=1