The First Sunday in Advent AD 2025

Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility, says the Collect for the First Sunday in Advent. He came because of love, and love is what He expects from us. Saint Paul writes: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

Love cannot be measured, because if it could be measured, it wouldn’t be love. This is not easy: loving our neighbor as ourselves requires more of us than we are usually capable of. Even in small things, it is not always easy for us to consider our neighbor as our equal, let alone to step aside and put him before ourselves.

True love is not only refraining from evil but doing all the good that lies in our power. Even small things, such as the gifts we can give to our loved ones and complete strangers during Advent and Christmas, help us grow in love.

We can be sure that if God expects us to love our neighbor as ourselves, then He loves us with the same love. Just think: God loves us as Himself. That is why He gave His only-begotten Son to visit us in great humility, to redeem us and make us His beloved children.