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Day 24: A Gentle Love Born in Our Hearts
How small and gentle his coming was. He came as an infant. The night in which He came was noisy and crowded; it is unlikely that in the traffic of the travelers to Bethlehem the tiny wail of the newly-born could be heard.
God approaches gently, often secretly, always in love, never through violence and fear. He comes to us, as he Himself has told us, in those whom we know in our own lives. Very often we do not recognize Him. He comes in many people we do not like, in all who need what we can give, in all who have something to give us; and, for our great comfort, He comes in those we love. In our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, our friends and our children. Because this is so, we may not be content ever to love with only natural love. We must also love everyone with a supernatural, sacramental love. We must love Christ in them with Christ’s love in us.
It would be well if those seeking perfection ceased trying so painstakingly to learn how not to love and learnt instead how to love well.
Commentary: On this final day of Advent, Caryll Houselander brings us to the quiet, humble scene of Christ’s birth. She reminds us that His coming was unassuming—soft, hidden in the midst of a noisy, distracted world. God’s approach, she says, is never forceful but always gentle, finding His way into our lives through the people around us. He is in those who need us, those who challenge us, and those who love us. This final Advent reflection calls us to embrace a “sacramental love”—a love that sees Christ in others, even when it is difficult or unexpected, and responds with the tenderness of Christ’s own love.
As Catholics, we are reminded that loving well, as Christ loves, is the highest calling and the greatest way to welcome Him into our world. This Christmas Eve, let us commit to a love that is supernatural, one that transforms our relationships into holy encounters with Christ Himself.
Personal Reflection: As you prepare your heart for Christmas, take a moment to reflect on someone in your life in whom you may have struggled to see Christ. How can you choose to love them with a “sacramental” love today, opening your heart to God’s gentle presence in them? Let this love be your gift to the Christ child, welcoming Him into your life as He comes again in the quiet of Christmas.
Quote taken from – Caryll Houselander The Passion of the Infant Christ, Sheed & Ward, 1949
For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
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