Tuesday, December 11 Advent Reflection

We are made in God’s image, which is another way of saying that humans are programmed to love — because God is love. We are most ourselves when we love selflessly — in fact, we find that we have more life when we give ourselves away in love.

That self-gift is a divine secret: the more we give away, the more we receive. And the more we receive, the more we can give away. When we join this cycle, we are sharing in God’s life and we experience deep joy, even when we encounter grief or pain or suffering.

St. Maximilian Kolbe knew this secret — it’s why he volunteered to take the place of a prisoner selected for death in a Nazi concentration camp. That same man survived the war and was present with his whole family when Kolbe was canonized a saint at the Vatican in 1982. Kolbe’s act of love brought others much life and joy, and it was a gift he was willing to offer because it gave him life, too.

Who is one person in your life who seems to lack joy? What is one thing you could do today to show them love?