What’s Your Starter Word (for Advent and for Wordle)

Ever since discovering that Pope Leo XIV plays Wordle, there has been speculation about his starter word for the daily word game in the New York Times. Now, thanks to Pope Leo XIV’s digital meeting with youth at the National Catholic Youth Conference, we have our answer.

“I use a different word for Wordle every day, so there’s no set starting word,” the pope told us.

No set starting word! In a world where Wordle players debate the merits of starting the game with “ADIEU” or “CHILD” or “FINCH,” it boggles the mind—and brings new questions.

How successful is the pope’s approach? What is his winning streak? Does he often clinch a win on his final guess? We will probably never know.

Of course, it’s possible that the Holy Father isn’t focused on his winning streak. Maybe he likes to choose a different word every day to keep the game fresh. Maybe he loves that that brings a newness to each day. Maybe it adds to the challenge. Maybe he finds it’s simply more fun. Or maybe, just maybe, with so many greater things on his mind, he sees it as simply a game—and he enjoys the journey more than the destination.

I’ve been thinking of beginnings as we start Advent. On the surface, Advent might look like it arrives in the same way each year. We light the first candle on the wreath. We sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” We set the Gloria aside and plunge into a season of anticipation and preparation.

At the start of Advent, I often feel pressured to make sure I am beginning the season well. I worry that I can’t find the Advent wreath—and we never seem to have four candles on hand. I sometimes wonder whether I should have purchased an Advent devotional or journal to guide me through this holy time of the year.

There is something wonderful—and truly admirable—about preparing for the season. But if that’s not you this year, please know that there’s also joy in discovering Advent as it comes. There is a beauty in leaning into the beauty of the season, making time for Jesus every day, and being open to God’s work in your life.

Our Blessed Mother wasn’t ready. She and St. Joseph encountered those final days before Jesus’ birth full of faith and hope and love—and look where their journey led them. They found themselves in a stable in Bethlehem, welcoming their baby boy—the Son of God—as cattle lowed and angels sang. They were ready because God prepared them. He gave them what they needed. But they weren’t ready when their journey began.

Neither are we—even if we feel ready. And maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t matter as much whether we can find the candles or that Advent prayer pamphlet. Maybe what matters is recognizing the importance of the journey, beginning where we are, and trusting that God will be walking with us through all the days ahead.

Whether we’re playing Wordle or entering Advent, we might not begin the same way every time. After all, even if we try to duplicate what we have done before, we are different people this year. We learn and grow, and life changes us.

We are here for the adventure. We are here for the discovery. We are here for Jesus. Let’s pray that we are open to this new beginning, recognizing that God might choose a starter word or a new experience that’s different from what we had in mind. May it help us grow closer to him.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.

Copyright © 2025 Catholic Review Media

 Print