Advent is the time that the Church prepares for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Leading up to Christmas, we take the time to focus on the values and promises that can be found in Jesus Christ. Last Sunday, we lit the candle of love.
Love plays a vital role in the Christmas story. Joseph’s love for Mary guided him when he found out she was pregnant with what he assumed was a child out of wedlock with another man (Matthew 1:18-19). Mary’s love and faith in God helped her through a frightening, turbulent pregnancy. Additionally, we see God’s love for for all people through his son Jesus (John 3:16). Hope, peace, and joy are important aspects of the Advent season, but love is the greatest of them all. Love encompasses Jesus’ entire purpose for being on earth (1 Corinthians 13:13).
When Jesus came to earth, he brought a special kind of love. Many expected the Messiah, the chosen one, to come with a vengeance. They expected a military power to restore order and return Israel to its former glory. But Jesus subverted all of these expectations. He came as a peaceful servant and loving teacher with a radical outlook on how the world should work. Jesus taught us to live with love for our neighbor in the same way that we live with our own self interest in mind (Matthew 7:12). Jesus showed that true love is unselfish, compassionate, unconditional, and all-inclusive.
Jesus loves us just as we are. Our condition is irrelevant to his love. We do not earn the love of Jesus, in the same way that others do not have to deserve our love. He gives us his love so we can give it away in the same unselfish, compassionate, unconditional, and all-inclusive way. Our actions reflect Jesus to the world around us. We can choose to offer love or we can choose to hold it back. In situations where it is hard to show love, think about how freely and unconditionally the love of God is given to you.