Embracing Love: God’s Gift, Our Call, and the Challenge to Share It

Reflection 1: Love that Comes to Dwell with Us

This Advent, I've been drawn back to one of my favorite contemplations from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius on the Incarnation. In this exercise, St. Ignatius invites us to contemplate the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity looking out upon all of humanity. Witnessing the joys and sorrows of all people, God is so moved with compassion that He sends His only Son to Earth as a human for our sake.

When I pray with this scene, I am always struck by the incomprehensible love that God has for us. Reflecting upon all the problems of our world, I often think to myself, "God saw all of this...and still wanted to be with us?!" The answer, as shown through Jesus, is a definite yes. At the same time, I like to think that God also delights in the everyday moments of love and joy that we share with our friends and family. As much as I am sure that God desires to accompany us in our sufferings, I am also convinced that He yearns to share in the joyful parts of our lives too. Like any loving parent, God wants to be there for the whole ride!

How then do we respond to this Love, which longs for us so desperately? For me, Mary shows the way in her answer to the angel Gabriel: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Mary could not have understood entirely what she was agreeing to, but she nevertheless trusted God. Even after the Annunciation, Mary continually renewed her "Yes," including at the foot of the cross. I hope to follow Mary's lead by saying "Yes" to God's love at all times, but especially when it is hardest to love.

Jason Vu

Reflection 2: Seeing Others through Love

My grandmother will be turning 90 this upcoming year. But when I look at her, hunched and frail, I forget she was once the strong woman who fled the Fall of Saigon alone, enduring seasickness and the stench of death—not knowing that she'd continue to be separated from her young children for several months. When I hear of her past, I feel her young life could easily be made into a movie.

I recently came across an interesting word: sonder. Sonder is defined as “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.” It requires the ability to step outside my own struggles and see someone else's, recognizing that they, too, have a life as uncertain and unpredictable as mine.

The concept of sonder reminds me that we are all interconnected, each of us living in our own adventure-filled narratives—or might I say, movies.

Love helps me apply sonder to see the world in shades of gray rather than black and white. It encourages me to approach others with compassion and understanding. Love is how Christ looks beyond our flaws to see the beauty of our humanity. Through love, I can choose to see others as they truly are—complicated, beautiful, and worthy of understanding.

This Advent, I’m reflecting on the importance of taking my eyes away from my own challenges to focus on others, even those who seem difficult or easily overlooked. I can learn to recognize that we are all part of a much bigger, shared story.

I’m reminded to make space for those who need love (that is, all of us).

I’m especially reminded to make space for Love Himself.

Anna Hoang

Reflection 3: Rediscovering God’s Love as a Parent

I always thought that I knew what unconditional love was. It’s loving someone no matter what they do and choosing to love them every day. I always equated it to Jesus’ love for us.

I didn’t truly grasp God’s unconditional love until I became a mother. Through all the joys and difficulties, with all the laughter and all the tears, the love I have for my daughter is beyond what I thought I was capable of.

Now the funny thing is, while in the trenches of learning how to be a mom, I didn’t connect this newfound love for my child with the love that God has for all of us. I forgot about Him. He was on the back burner, while I tried to survive the sleepless nights, the new dynamic of my marriage, and the steep learning curve of parenthood.

This Advent, God is calling me back to Him. To fall back into relationship with Him. To share my hopes and fears with Him. To share my every day with Him. He has been here with me all along - through the trials and tribulations. I am not only called to love my husband and daughter more deeply, but also called to love God more deeply than ever. I am excited this Advent season to reignite my relationship with Him, as I can feel His warm embrace.

“Rend your hearts… and return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love…” (Joel 2:13)

Jenny Nguyen

Reflection 4: Love in Action and Prayer

Love is patience. Love is kind. But Love is a lot harder than it looks.

On one hand, it is very easy to show love through acts of service or giving gifts to your friends. On the other hand, it is also very easy to take love for granted, especially the love given to us by our parents and family.

This Advent, step back and appreciate those around you. Whether it be family, friends, leaders, or peers, we should reflect on how their love is shown and how we show love to them. It can be as simple as helping them amidst our busy lives or in silence by keeping them in our prayers.

For those who are harder to love, let us pray for the gifts of patience and understanding. We pray for the patience to treat them with love and kindness, no matter the circumstance. And we pray for the gift of understanding, so that we remember that they too are created in God's image and likeness.

Katie Ha