Advent – the Season of Love
As we light the fourth advent candle representing love, we are reminded to ponder on the meaning of Love. Fr. Dom in his sermon said ‘true love liberates and gives peace, joy and hope”.
Love is to will the good of the other and in the story of the visitation, we see Mary who goes through an arduous journey to reach her cousin Elizabeth to be with her in her time of need. Fr. Dom said that all those who have been to the Holy Land would know that the journey to the Church of Visitation is not easy and it is an uphill task. It must have been a difficult journey for Mary during those times. This is genuine love, that Mary’s presence brings so much joy, peace and hope to Elizabeth.
“At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving the others with God’s own love and concern.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta
Fr. Dom also told the story of St. Damien who lived with the colony of lepers and served them until the end. Fr. Damien had an interesting opening remark to all the lepers each time he started mass- “You lepers know that God loves you”. Then one day, his remarks were” we lepers know that God loves us”. Fr. Damien knew that God loved him and the lepers and he served with joy even though he too became a leper.
As we prepare for the gift of love this Christmas, Fr. Dom invited all to share their love story with Jesus. He said if there is an attachment that is impeding us from loving God, we should ask God to liberate us from it. We should ask God to liberate us from attachments that are not from Him.
“True love always imposes restrictions on itself – for the sake of others – whether it be the saint who detaches himself from the world in order more readily to adhere to Christ, or the husband who detaches himself from former acquaintances to belong more readily to the spouse of his choice. True love, by its nature, is uncompromising; it is the freeing of self from selfishness and egotism. Real love uses freedom to attach itself unchangeably to another. If you love God you will never do anything to wound Him. In married love, likewise, there is perfect freedom, and yet one limitation which preserves that love, and that is the refusal to hurt the beloved.”
— Archbishop Fulton Sheen, The World’s First Love