When Love Costs Nothing, It Means Nothing
Every faithful yes is born alongside a hard no.
Dear friends —
This Advent, all paid subscribers are receiving the Letters from Leo Advent Reflection Series: a daily companion to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas — and to reckon with what his arrival demands of us, personally and publicly, in a moment of deep moral and political crisis.
It’s not too late to join us. Today’s reflection is below.
To give you a sense of what you’ll encounter, I’ve unlocked two pieces for all readers.
The first is our opening Sunday reflection, which sets the tone for the season. The second is a reflection from last week, where I wrote candidly about the isolating pain me and so many others experience during the holidays — and how Advent meets us there, not to deny the loneliness, but to reveal God’s quiet presence within it.
These reflections will continue each day through Christmas.
Letters from Leo is open to anyone who wants to be informed and inspired by our pope — and to turn that inspiration into action that leaves America and the world more just, less cold, and more alive with hope.
If you’d like to support this work during this sacred season, here are three ways you can help:
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Thank you for reading. I’ll see you on the road.
“O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!” (O Antiphon, December 19)
God’s invitations rarely come at convenient times and without suffering.
As Pope Francis once wrote, “I distrust a love that costs nothing and doesn’t hurt.”
In today’s readings, an angel announces the birth of Samson to a barren woman, and centuries later, another angel tells Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth will finally bear a son, John.
In each case, God asks ordinary people to trust an extraordinary plan. Their yes to God sets in motion events that change history.
Of course, saying “yes” to God often means saying “no” to our own fears and to the world’s expectations.
