Fire Up a Candle

Fire up a candle for the Advent wreath.
The birth is a week away.
Let the deer browse peacefully on their heath,
our rifles locked away.

Last remnant in our Liturgy of Greek,
let all sing Kyrie,
Christe eléison. Let all who seek
salvation, let the stray

sinner come to the church whose Lord is Christ.
Let each confess his sin
and make it known one sacrifice sufficed
long years ago to win

forgiveness in our loving Father’s eyes
and every soul’s ticket to Paradise.

—Tim Murphy

Dear Reader,

Can I be direct with you?

War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.

First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.

But we can’t do it without readers like you.

Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.


Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.

Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.

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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.

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