The Holy Child of Aleppo and the Prophets We Keep Ignoring

From Elijah to John the Baptist to a wounded child of war, God keeps speaking — and we keep missing him. Advent gives us the chance to listen again.

Dear friends —

Happy Second Saturday of Advent!

Thank you for being part of Letters from Leo. Your presence here — whether you’re Catholic or not, a believer or just curious — sustains one of the most important conversations in public life today.

This Advent, all paid subscribers are receiving the Letters from Leo Advent Reflection Series: a daily companion to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas — and to reckon with what his arrival demands of us, personally and publicly, in a moment of deep moral and political crisis.

It’s not too late to join us. Today’s reflection is below.

To give you a sense of what you’ll encounter, I’ve unlocked two pieces for all readers.

The first is our opening Sunday reflection, which sets the tone for the season.

The second is Tuesday’s reflection, where I wrote candidly about the isolating pain me and so many others experience during the holidays — and how Advent meets us there, not to deny the loneliness, but to reveal God’s quiet presence within it.

These reflections will continue each day through Christmas.

Letters from Leo is open to anyone who wants to be informed and inspired by our pope — and to turn that inspiration into action that leaves America and the world more just, less cold, and more alive with hope.

If you’d like to support this work during the holiday season, here are three ways you can help:

• Subscribe as a paid member to receive exclusive posts about the life and formation of Pope Leo and help sustain this newsletter.

• Donate with a one-time gift to fuel this project’s mission.

• Share this post (and Letters from Leo) with a friend who might enjoy it.

Whether you give $0, $1, or $1,000, your presence here matters — no matter your faith or your politics.

Thank you for reading. I’ll see you on the road.

“Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” (Psalm 80:3)

Today’s Readings

Jesus reveals to his disciples that the great prophet Elijah had already come, but “they did not recognize him.”

He is referring to John the Baptist, who lived on the margins and called people to repentance.

Many dismissed John’s message — some even silenced him — because it threatened their comfort and power.

Jesus warns that he too, the Son of Man, will suffer at the hands of those who refuse to hear God’s truth.

God’s messengers have always arrived in unexpected ways and unlikely voices.

In our own time, that voice has sometimes emerged from the rubble itself — like the boy of Aleppo, pulled bloodied and silent from the ruins, his image flashing across the world as a wordless indictment of our violence.

In him, Christ cries out again for peace, asking whether we will finally listen — or whether we will look away and move on.

Advent presses the question further: not just whether we hear God’s messengers, but whether we are willing to be changed by them.