I began my senior year of college this past fall filled with excitement and expectant hope.

I anticipated the fulfillment of promises that were made and the fruition of my hard work. I rested in the thought that this would finally be the season in which my heart would be at peace. I looked forward to the fulfillment of being seen, known, and loved.

But that's not what happened.

In the first few months, I experienced heartbreak and rejection like I never had before. A sense of desertion permeated my relationships and and in turn, found its way into my heart. It brought forth insecurities and wounds that I fought so hard to keep off the table and hidden from the Father.

Finally one day, I brought my restless and confused heart to Eucharistic Adoration and asked Him, Lord, show me how You see me.

In my heart, I was deeply consoled by what I felt was His response, My little girl.

In today’s Gospel, the Lord says “this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day” (John 6:39).

The things that break our hearts or leave us empty can tempt us to abandon the truth that we are daughters of a loving Father. They can convince us that the love which we are freely given is nothing more than a consolation prize or reckless comfort, and we must turn to our own merits to find fulfillment.

But, sister, the Lord promises so much more than consolation; He promises resurrection into eternal life for those who come to Him. He invites us to enter into His promise through His unending mercy and grace.

This promise sees us through our hardest and darkest times and brings us back into His light. It tells us this joyful resurrection will be our reality when we claim our identity as His daughters and live in the truth of His Word.

Let's rest and rise in His invitation to grace. Let's live for eternal life.

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Kelsey Dassance is a Michigan native and a strong advocate for iced coffee all-year round. She is a student in Grand Rapids, Michigan and graduates in May with her Bachelors in Communication. She’s tried almost every sport at some point in her life, but prefers climbing mountains over anything else. She’s a big fan of sunshine, friendship and Saint John Paul II—who encourages her to pursue great things without fear. Find out more about her here.