Do You Have Room?

With the start of Advent, I decided that I wanted to better prepare for this new year in the Church. I love this time of year with all of the decorations, lights, gift giving, sacrifices, and the overall spirit of Christmas. It is so easy to get swept up in all of the commercialism of the season and forget or at least be distracted by what this time of year is really about. I wanted to challenge myself to make this Advent season in my life more Christ driven and not so much about all of the hype. I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to make my Advent change until a few weeks ago when I was scrolling on Facebook, and I knew instantly what I was going to do. An old friend from college shares daily prayers and posts to inspire people in their faith. She recommended a book for this Advent Season called The Little Way of Advent: Meditations in the Spirit of St. Therese of Lisieux by Fr. Gary Caster. St. Therese is my favorite saint, so I ordered the book right away. We are only a few days into Advent, but the introduction was excellent, and the meditations are focused and relevant.

Between this book and the image I shared above, I felt compelled to share this with all of you. I'm not sure why I never thought about the message of, "Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus." Advent is about hope, and I believe this simple message is so profound. We prepare in anticipation for the birth of Christ. We know he was born, lived, and died for our sins. Now we prepare for his return and pursue our relationship with him through the Holy Spirit. I want to be prepared. I feel like my heart and mind have finally been opened and I see what Christ can do in my life. I have room. Come on in!!!!

I will close with this quote from The Little Way of Advent:

Christmas is not the remembrance of something that happened in the past but the celebration of the way of life to which each one of us is called. We bring ourselves before the child to discover the hidden God humbling himself before the human family --- naked, weak, hungry, and in need. If we can see the face of God in the child whose birth we celebrate, then we will see the face of God in the man whose death has set us free, whose blood inebriates our hearts and causes them to sing. (pg. xiii)

May you feel God’s love this Advent season.