Love is the reason for everything. The reason God came, the reason He stayed, and the reason He will come again. In the final years of life, many find they understand the weight of this love in ways their younger selves never could. Christmas is fundamentally God’s love story—written in the language of a baby’s cry and proven by a life laid down for others.
As the Angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).¹ This “Merciful Love” is not merely a sentiment but a biological and psychological necessity. In fact, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has tracked participants for over 85 years, identifies the quality of our relationships as the single most important predictor of health and happiness as we age.²
This divine love creates a “chosen family” that transcends biology. Just as St. Augustine noted that “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us,”³ we are called to reflect that love without hesitation. As Brennan Manning famously challenged, the greatest hindrance to faith is often a lifestyle that denies the very love we acknowledge with our lips.