“On the Third Sunday of Advent—the Sunday of rejoicing—St Andrew’s Church was filled with light and joy as we welcomed five children into the family of faith through baptism,” says the Reverend Dr David Jarratt in Abu Dhabi.

“In the midst of Advent’s waiting, baptism reminds us that God’s promises are not distant or abstract, but alive and active among us now. As water was poured and candles were lit, we rejoiced in new beginnings, in the gift of community, and in the hope that Christ brings into ordinary lives. These children, received with love and prayer, are signs of God’s joy breaking into the world—a joy shared, celebrated, and entrusted to us all.”