By Rafael Hernandez

Coral Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez is finding another way to make change this holiday season: penning his own Advent devotional.

With help from his nine-year-old son Stephen and the words of French nun St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Fernandez created a calendar of activities for families to take part in the leadup to Christmas Day, centering each week on the four central themes of peace, hope, joy, and love.  

“Those are four things that we all need in our lives. If you have a life that has no hope, no joy, no peace, and no love, it’s a very sad existence that you have,” Fernandez said. 

For Fernandez, creating works like his latest devotional serves as a way to share his ideas and strengthen his faith—a stark contrast to his commissioner duties, which he says often exposes him to negativity and hate.

A mission shaped by faith and service

Like his “Better You Minute” series of self-help books, this devotional was created in honor of a commitment to help others which traces back to a meeting with his Catholic youth group Encuentros Juveniles and then-Pope John Paul II.

His commitment was reaffirmed earlier this August when Fernandez and his family met Pope Leo XIV in Rome, where he promised to help the Holy Father “build a civilization of love.”

“We see so much division today in the world,” he said. “I think we can accomplish a lot more if we show more love towards each other and more respect towards each other. That was really the reason that Better You Minute was originally founded in 2019.”

A family project of faith and fun

But to plan four weeks-worth of family fun, he needed some assistance from his own family.

As soon as he heard about the project, Fernandez’s son wanted in. The two would often brainstorm what they wanted to put in the book together, and he did not hesitate to pitch his own ideas for activities.

“It’s been a fun process getting to work, dad and son, on this project together,” said Fernandez. “He’s helped me with what should go where and how we should change things and colors. He’s been extremely helpful throughout the process.”

Faith amid criticism

Writing the book may have been a collaborative process for Fernandez and his family, but he describes his current role on the commission as anything but cooperative.

His position has made him the subject of much ridicule and criticism, particularly within the past year, but Fernandez says it all only reaffirms his commitment to his faith.

“It’s also really strengthened my faith and my desire to present a different side to things,” he said. “To present a side that really shows this isn’t about, you know, our lives should not be about hatred, our lives should not be about destruction, they should really be about love and working together.”

When asked what effect he wants his latest work to have on readers, he once again pointed to the four key themes woven into the devotional’s words. 

“Advent and Christmas are the beginning of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church, so this is technically our new year, so it’s about starting this new year with a different mindset and maybe being more mindful of ensuring that what we’re putting out there isn’t hatred and destruction, it’s love.”

Family Advent: Daily Reflections and Activities will be available in English starting on Nov. 14. Advent with St. Therese of Lisieux is available now through Amazon in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.