Advent Book Club: The Reed of God
Make room for Christ this Advent.
Join us at the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia on Monday, November 23, 2026, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Cascia Center Founders’ Hall for a discussion of The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander.
As we prepare for Advent, we invite you to take time for spiritual reading, thoughtful conversation, and reflection on Mary’s openness to God. Houselander compares Mary to a hollow reed shaped to carry a shepherd’s song. Through this image, she invites us to consider how we, too, can make room for Christ and allow His love to find expression in our lives.
Together, we will reflect on Mary’s “yes” to God and what our own response might look like. How can we become more attentive to God’s presence? What might we need to release to make room for Him? How can the ordinary moments of our day become opportunities to welcome Christ?
Before the weeks leading up to Christmas grow busy, this gathering offers an opportunity to pause and consider how you would like to enter the Advent season. Share your reflections, listen to the perspectives of others, and explore how the themes of The Reed of God speak to your own life of faith.
Whether you are familiar with Houselander’s writing or discovering her work for the first time, we invite you to join the conversation as we prepare our hearts for Christmas.
To register or learn more, call the Shrine Office at 215-546-8333 or email office@saintritashrine.org.