“I would create the world again just to hear you say you love me.”
– Jesus to St. Teresa of Avila
Reflection:
This final week of Advent is the week of love. At first, while reflecting on the readings for this week, it was a mystery to me why the theme of the last week of Advent is typically love. But through some contemplation, it soon became very obvious to me.
Throughout Advent, the daily readings for Mass have been foretelling of a great Savior who will recuse His people from their sins. He is the One to hope for. He is the One who will bring us peace and joy.
But a very key point to Jesus’ coming is that God comes intimately to each of us with the greatest love. He doesn’t come because He needs to. He comes because He loves – and He loves us perfectly!
I recently learned that God not only loves kenotically (that is, in a self-emptying or self-sacrificial way), but also in a deeply passionate, way. He is love in all its aspects, and His love is truly burning for you. God’s love is so passionate that there is nothing that stops Him from coming to be with you and save you.
In the reading for today we read, “My lover speaks; he says to me, ‘Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come! For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone.’” (Song of Songs 2:10-11)
God speaks these words to each of us at every moment, and makes His love apparent through Jesus’ coming. Do we have the ears to hear of His beautiful love? How are we responding to God’s invitation of love?
Mary knew this deep and radical love of God. We see in the Gospels this week how deeply the Holy Spirit loves in and through Mary with the gift of Jesus. Mary chose to be a part of the mystery of love God invited her to, and inspires us to do the same.
Challenge: “Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one.”
– Song of Songs 2:10
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