Advent, the time leading up to Christmas, can be chaotic, even though it is supposed to be a period of preparation and reflection ahead of Christ's birth. The creators of the prayer app Hallow hope their new "Pray 25" challenge, called "Be Still," is able to help people embrace the true meaning of the season amid all the distractions of the secular world.
"This time of year is often so overwhelmed with busyness and noise when it’s really supposed to be about something else. About Christ, about us waiting for the Lord to send His only Son for us. We wanted to give folks the space to just Be Still with the Lord this Advent season," Alex Jones, CEO and co-founder of Hallow, told Aleteia.
The series will feature 25 audio reflections on Bible verses, as well as excerpts from the books The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.
"Be Still" will be "25 days of us just learning from some incredible saints, theologians, authors who have meditated on stillness and resting with the Lord," said Jones, adding ,"Can’t wait for you to join us. Probably is going to be our biggest challenge yet."
Celebrity and familiar voices narrate series
The 25 reflections of the series will vary on topics from day-to-day, said Hallow.
Catholic speaker Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, and The Chosen's Jonathan Roumie will lead reflections on The Reed of God at the start of each week of the series, said a press release from Hallow.
On Fridays, actor Chris Pratt of Guardians of the Galaxy and Parks and Recreation fame will read from The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.
Singer Gwen Stefani will be joined by Byzantine Catholic religious sister Mother Natalia and will discuss the lives of the saints and how they focused on "being still." Fr. John Burns, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, said Hallow, "will guide listeners through sessions of imaginative prayer."
Fr. Pierre Toussaint, CFR, "will offer homily reflections each Sunday during Advent."
Jonathan Roumie caused a minor stir before the launch
Ahead of Pray 25's announcement, Roumie teased the series with a post on Instagram. The post, which depicted the actor holding a ring box, was captioned "We did a thing" along with a star-eyed emoji and a promise to "share more soooon."
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Many people on social media wondered if Roumie, who is unmarried, had recently gotten engaged.
Instead, Roumie was promoting Pray 25, and the real meaning of the Advent season.
"It's not about the craziness or the shopping or the gifts," said Roumie in the video. "It's about Jesus. It's about prayer."
Evan Laird, Hallow's head of marketing, told Aleteia that the bait-and-switch from Roumie was a way to get people talking about Jesus.
"We want to invite people to take time this Advent to be still, but we know how busy – and often overwhelming – social media feeds can feel," said Laird.
"Jonathan is such a brilliant creative and his post helped us cut through the noise and will hopefully help lead more people to Christ’s peace through prayer this Advent."
