Link to free Advent: Loveโs Pure Light PDF by Dwell App: โฃ
https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjmโฃ
โฃ
๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐น๐บ ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฐ:๐ฎ-๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ญ:๐ญ-๐ญ๐ดโฃ
โฃ
๐๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ; ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐ช๐ด ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ช๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข๐ท๐ฆ๐ฅ.โฃ
โSt. Gregory of Nazianzusโฃ
โฃ
Repentance is a reminder that God loves to heal that which is sick and restore all that is disfigured. If there is no possibility for renewal, then why bother with repentance in the first place? To repent is not only to acknowledge oneโs sin and shortcomings, but it is to look ahead with hope and the unshakable belief that God will not leave us as we are but will make us by grace what Jesus is by nature.โฃ
โฃ
In fact, this is one of the most helpful ways to reflect upon the Incarnation during this Advent season. Jesus did not enter our world because he was lonely, neither was he forced to do so by some divine decree. Love has been and always will be the only lens through which the birth of Christ can be properly understood. To truly love is to desire the good of the other. When God sees humanity suffering and lost in sin, he looks upon us with compassion, longing to free us from โthe sin that clings so closelyโ (Heb. 12:1).โฃ
โฃ
Through our love of self and pursuit of comfort, we walk in alienation from God and one another. We are, like the Israelites of old, covered in filth and our hands are stained with blood (Is. 4:4). Harsh as this may sound, this realization is the beginning of true repentance. Only when we see our sickness for what it is can we begin to appreciate the healing medicine offered to us by our loving Lord.โฃ
โฃ
โฃ
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธโฃ
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.โฃ
โฃ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒโฃ
As todayโs reflection reminds us, we must learn to be free from love of self. Choose today to fast from self-interest. It has been said that true humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking about yourself less. Put this into practice by going the entire day without looking at yourself in a mirror!
