As Advent begins, we are called into a season of waiting, preparation, and hope—a time to open our hearts in anticipation of Christ’s birth. This sacred season invites us to reflect on the profound love that God has for us, a love embodied most perfectly in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Through her heart, the Flame of Love shines brightly, offering us an invitation to draw nearer to God.
The Flame of Love is not a distant or abstract ideal, but a living, vibrant presence of the Holy Spirit. It is the love Mary holds for God, a love that is both pure and all-encompassing, and it is through her heart that we can encounter the transformative power of God’s grace. Revealed in the mystical experiences of Elizabeth Kindelmann, the Flame of Love is a grace that leads to the conversion of souls, the renewal of the Church, and a way for us to experience a deeper connection, union with Christ.
Jesus to Elizabeth; “My light permeates you and surrounds you. Through Me, you enlighten in the obscure Advent these souls awaiting Me. The sacrifices of your life, united with My merits, will be light for them. I said, ‘You are the light of the world’ to those whom I filled with the special light of My grace. You and others must give light to the dark parts of the earth which are in the shadow of sin, such that My divine light attracts towards the true road those souls teetering in the shadow of sin and death.” Today, I meditated all day on the Lord’s words, and I thought especially of these: “The sacrifices of your life, united with My merits, will be light for them.”
Advent, a season of longing and waiting, is the perfect time to reflect on this Flame of Love. It is a time when we await the coming of the Savior, but also a time when we prepare our hearts to receive His love more fully. Mary, in her Immaculate Heart, is the perfect guide for this journey. Her heart was the first to experience the joy of the Savior’s presence, the first to feel the warmth of His love, and the first to carry Him within her. As we wait for Christ’s birth in the manger, we also wait for Him to be born anew in our hearts, and there is no better way to prepare than by turning to the heart of Mary, the Mother of the Church.
The Flame of Love burns brightly in Mary’s heart, but it is meant to spread to all hearts. Just as a flame, once ignited, can light other flames, so too does Mary’s love invite us to pass on the love of God to others. This Advent, as we reflect on our own quest for God, let us allow the Flame of Love to ignite within us and spread to those around us. Just as the first flame of love burned brightly in the humble stable in Bethlehem, it continues to burn today, inviting us to approach the throne of God with pure hearts, to embrace the mystery of the Incarnation, and to allow God’s love to change us from within.
In this season of waiting, may we strive to live out our Advent journey not just as a time of passive expectation, but as an active quest for God. The Flame of Love, burning in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is a blazing beacon of hope, urging us to turn our hearts fully toward God and to seek Him in the most obscure places of our lives.
Let us, then, actively seek God and embrace this Flame of Love. Let it warm our souls, enlighten our minds, and guide our steps. Through Mary’s heart, we are drawn ever closer to the heart of God—our true destination this Advent season and throughout our lives.
“In the first place, it should be known that if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more” St. John of the Cross, Living Flame of Love
United with you in the Flame of Love,
Jill Metz
US National Director