I’m surrounded by the desire to love and be loved. During this holiday, it’s so easy to get caught up in this “love scene”. Having all the Christmas music, seeing the malls filled with couples and families and friends, and even sitting at a cafe right now, listening to a playlist of love songs… it led me to think, with all the romanticized ideas and traditions of this season of love, how many of us really open ourselves up to truly know Love? How many of us really remember the Reason to celebrate when the season has arrived? As I listened and relaxed to my playlist of love songs, all I could suddenly hear was:

Sing Me a love song…

How beautiful would it be to see the clusters of people in the malls as clusters of people, anticipating to the Adoration Chapel? What if instead of waiting for hours in front of stores, those line-ups were of people willing to wait hours, arriving so early to receive the True Gift in the Most Holy Eucharist, most specially during this season? What if instead of yearning for the secular fulfillment of love, we pray for the clarity to realize how we are already being called to witness to the Greatest Love – God, Himself, humbly coming to us in the form of mankind?

During this season, I can’t help but sit in this cafe, smiling and laughing to myself. I was listening to love songs, and I can’t help but think of the joy I have in this moment alone; the joy I have in being able to really just be me… to be here. The joy of thinking of Christmas, and feeling excited to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, as opposed to just feeling excited about seeing what gifts I will receive or buy/ make for others (which is how it all used to be for me)… The joy of not feeling so swayed to relate a love song to a past relationship, or a specific person, but simply enjoying the song for its own tune – for what it is. The joy of being able to simply anticipate and celebrate His True Gift. That, to me, is a blessing.

With what will happen during this season, and/ or what will happen after it, I don’t know. But in all the unknown, I find peace in knowing He has already taken care of it all, and He is always loving and taking care of Me and all I hold dear in my heart. He is rooting and building my desires in love, beginning with HIS LOVE. And this is evident in all the things He has already blessed me with (i.e. safety, a blessed mission trip, the upcoming family business and the blessings of its preparations, and so much more)! So this Christmas, I will sing Love its love song…

JOY.

“I know, my God, that thou triest the heart, and has pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen thy people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to thee.”

(1 Chronicles 29: 17)

Thank You, Lord.

Amen.