I was sitting outside watching my children play on one of those last bright and sunny fall days, when the mailman stopped at our house to deliver a package. As most children do when they see a package arrive, they wanted to open it up right away; it’s like a mini Christmas morning.
As soon as my five-year-old daughter saw the book inside, titled The Melody of Love, she insisted on paging through it by herself first. She wanted to open it up and absorb the beauty of the illustrations before I put voice to the words. A few minutes later, I did read the story to her, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she understood the meaning, simply through the intuitive artwork on each page.
All Creatures Bless the Lord
It begins during a peaceful and starlit evening. Slowly, animals are awakened by Heaven’s light pouring forth and a melody of love being sung over them. Penguins, polar bears, stags, moose, and humpback whales are all rejoicing at the symphony, born from the Infant Jesus’ birth. This reminded me of verses in the book of Daniel, which are prayed every Sunday and on special feast day in the Liturgy of the Hours:
You sea monsters and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let all creatures praise the Lord
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. ” (Daniel 3:79-81)
It has me imagining what the scene of the Nativity looked like. Were the animals in the stable asleep as Jesus was born, and then woken up at His first cry? What was their reaction to this small family, who was sharing their sleeping quarters, and to their first sight of the newborn Jesus?
For Children and Adults Alike
The author and illustrator, Janine Rainwater, wrote this storybook to be an expression of God’s love for each and every one of us. His song of love over us. Written as a poem, the story has a soothing rhythm, making it perfect for bedtime reading.
But it has a message not just for children. The pages read:
The message was a tale begun:
A Father’s love for His own Son.
In time small hands and feet would grow,
And proof of boundless love would show.
But now His task was just to dream
While Love’s refrain around Him streamed. ”
I love that last sentence. Jesus, God the Father’s Son, had just one task as a newborn. He was simply to let the Father love Him.
Letting God Love Us
We can learn a lesson from Jesus, the helpless newborn King. For we are more helpless than He was. He became a baby to save us from our sins. And the question I have to ask myself is: Will I also let the Father love me? Will I give Him the time?
My heart longs to be covered in His love and to see where His love will take me. Yet how often do I focus on the “growing” I could do, rather than the essential being with God the Father. How often do I look to the “doing” rather than the receiving? My answer to these questions is: far too much.
This book reminds me that, yes, I have responsibilities, and in time, those responsibilities will need to be tended to. But first, everything must begin with love.
His Melody Surrounds Us
The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes Saint Catherine of Siena, saying, “Everything comes from love, all that is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind” (§ 313).
These are words of such consolation to me as we enter into the Advent season. There are Christmas cards to be sent, presents to be bought and wrapped, and decisions about what to make for each of our neighbors this year. Yes, December can be full of long to-do lists and a tightly packed calendar, but my priority must first be love. And what better place to find respite and rest in the chaos, than in the Father’s love?
Practically, how will I do this, especially when my home is not always the picture of silence and calm portrayed in the Christmas song “Silent Night”? Some mornings I might be able to sneak downstairs to be with Him before my children wake up and the sun rises. These are surely wonderful moments. But what I know I will need to lean into, more often than not, is practicing the presence of God in each and every moment. Not just the quiet and peaceful ones.
This will mean letting God wrap me up in His love through the smiles and laughter of my daughter and sons, through a stranger holding a door open for me, or the simple beauty of the falling snow and crackling fireplace.
If we listen, the melody of God’s love is all around us.
Susanna Parent is a regular contributor to the BIS blog, speaker and a freelance writer. While a Wisconsin native, she now begins her mornings brewing French press coffee in the home she shares with her husband and children in the Twin Cities. When the sun sets, you’ll find her with friends enjoying a glass of red wine, preferably outside underneath twinkly lights. When not exploring all that the Twin Cities has to offer, she is indulging her wanderlust spirit by brainstorming their family's next new adventure. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Susanna's posts here.
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