There are plenty of reasons to contribute to our Bright Christmas Campaign — more on that later — and now you have a new way to make your donation, thanks to our digital department.

This past Thursday, we celebrated one of the most beautiful holidays on the calendar. It is a day dedicated to giving thanks for the blessings and graces we have received in the preceding year. Gratitude is indeed the highest form of courtesy.

We are still two weeks away from the beginning of Advent, but the psalm we will hear this Sunday at Mass is like an announcement of Christmas: “Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.” The most beautiful time of the year is approaching.

Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, one of Pope Francis’ favorite authors, used to say that as a kid, he felt embarrassed on his birthday. He didn’t think he deserved all those presents his parents and friends gave him on those days.

This week, we’ve been extra busy trying to send Bright Christmas checks to parishes and programs that help the needy of Brooklyn and Queens celebrate Christmas.

Requests for funds from The Tablet’s Bright Christmas campaign are arriving every day. Those letters make clear the reason why we do this every year.

This weekend, we light the first candle on our Advent wreaths. It is a symbol of hope as we begin preparing for the coming of the Lord.