This past Thanksgiving, my family had a potluck and everyone brought the most delicious food including prime ribs, turkey, stuffing, and so much more. I ate so much that I had no more room to eat dessert!
It seems that every time Thanksgiving comes around and we enter into Advent, we are filled with so many things. We are filled with food, parties, shopping, friends and family visits which are all wonderful things. In that “busy-ness”, Cha Thanh reminded me last week during mass, that Advent, which means “Coming”, is a time for us to prepare for Jesus to come into our lives more fully. But for Jesus to do that, He needs some space. When Mary said “yes” to God, she had to make a sacrifice of her time and space to carry Jesus in her womb. In contrast to Mary’s “yes”, the innkeepers and others said “no” to the Holy Family as they tried to find shelter for the night and give birth to Jesus. It is so easy and even rational for me to say “no” either from fear or from lack of space or time. I don’t really know who this stranger is. I don’t want my comfortable life to change or be inconvenienced. My house and heart is too full. I am too busy to spend a moment with Jesus.
The image of Mother Mary is a great reminder that in order to allow Jesus into my heart and soul, I need to clear it of the clutter which includes the good as well as the bad. Sometimes I am tempted to do more good things. Giao Ly needs me to do more. My work needs me to work longer. Friends and family need more of my time. Then there are the bad temptations which take up more space such as pride, anger, arrogance and indifference. These things push Jesus even further out of my heart.
Advent is a time to prepare to not just celebrate Jesus coming into the world 2000 years ago, but to anticipate His coming into my heart and soul more fully. Can I put down my phone and not check the latest Facebook post or that text message from a friend? Can I put down the video game or skip watching that funny show on TV? What can I do to clear some space in my heart and soul and spend some time with Jesus so that Jesus can enter and transform it?
Sơn Trần, Phụ Trách Tâm Linh (Spiritual Life Coordinator)