Advent's Invitation: Moving God's Love from Head Knowledge to Heart Knowledge

The season of Advent is always one of reflection for me. Certainly the timing at the end of the calendar year helps, but it’s also a period that marks some important events in my life. Put these together and it makes it a natural time to take stock and reflect. 

Advent is a season of waiting and hopeful anticipation, and the greatest hope we can hold is an experience of God’s love. Taking stock means recognizing that this love is the foundation, not the reward. It’s about letting the peace of His coming settle, knowing that our worth is already secured.

I recently had the opportunity to look back on my spiritual journey in a conversation with Philip Renfro with Ark of Heaven Media. Thinking about one particularly significant retreat, I remembered one of the most impactful sentences I’ve ever heard: 

There’s nothing you have done that can take God’s love away from you.

That simple phrase, that truth, was the beginning of transforming something that had before only been “head knowledge” into a deeper “heart knowledge.” For me, this transformation was life-changing. It’s the difference between merely believing a theological fact and living with a quiet, secure confidence every day. When God’s love truly sinks into your heart, it liberates you from the anxiety of performance or deriving your worth from other people or things. 

It’s something I hope all of us get to experience. You can watch the whole interview here - it premieres at 12:00 CT on Christmas Eve!  

In the full interview, Philip and I dive deep into the theme of finding holiness in everyday moments, detailed by the stories of the incredible women in my book, Important Catholic Women of the 20th Century. We also share stories about my personal spiritual journey and how that foundational truth about God's love informs everything else.

Called to Discipleship with Catholic Author, Lorel Wilhelm-Volpi | Her Story and Her Book

Wishing you and yours a beautiful Christmas, as we prepare to meet the One whose love is with us always!