THE ADVENT JOURNEY – Day 8: “The birth of Jesus in our Hearts”  

 

When reflecting on Advent, we can speak of three comings of the Lord:

  1. His historical coming, when He was born in Bethlehem;
  2. His birth in our hearts;
  3. His glorious coming at the End of Time.

In this second week of Advent, we will reflect on the second of these: the presence of Jesus in our hearts. Indeed, it is essential that He also dwell in our hearts, for this is how our inner transformation takes place. Letting Jesus into our hearts means giving Him shelter, making room for God’s love in our souls.

We also experience this in our human relationships: when someone occupies a place in our hearts, it means they have become part of our lives, that we are also part of theirs, and that we think of them with love and gratitude. In a way, that person is present in us, even if we are not in constant contact.

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TIMES OF TRIAL  

“Do not be discouraged if someone rejects or hates you. Remain in love as I always did. Perhaps, in this way, you can win their hearts.” (Inner Word)

On our journey, we may encounter people who reject us or even hate us. If we remain faithful in increasingly anti-Christian times, this can happen very easily—especially if we are unwilling to make concessions regarding faith and morals and stand firm in our convictions. These are moments of trial in which we can demonstrate our love for God, but also moments in which, with God’s grace, we can rise above ourselves.

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