Making Room For Jesus This Advent

Advent is all about making room in the in, room in our hearts, our homes, and our lives, so that when Christ comes at Christmas, there is room for all these spaces.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy visited NASA for a tour of the space centre. As he walked through the facility, he noticed a janitor mopping the floor. Wanting to acknowledge him, JFK paused, introduced himself, and asked, “What do you do here?” The janitor looked up and replied, “Well, Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.” His simple answer revealed something profound: he wasn’t just sweeping floors; he saw his work as part of a larger mission. Every task, no matter how small, contributed to the greater goal.

Growing in the spiritual life is the same beautiful journey of hope (a perfect parallel in this Jubilee Year of Hope). Just know that every small step we take toward Christ strengthens the whole parish. Spiritual growth quietly enriches the people around you. When one heart makes room for Jesus, grace grows in the whole community, and it slowly ripples across to all whom we meet, just like some good news that can’t be contained its joy spreading like a pebble tossed into a lake, quietly rippling outward from one heart to another.

I’m always struck by this interesting phenomenon:

Two people can sit side-by-side in the same pew, at the same Mass, hearing the same readings and receiving the same Eucharist, and yet one walks away changed while the other feels no different.

Why? It’s not because God showed up for one and not the other. But perhaps because one heart had room, and the other heart was too full, too cluttered, too weighed down to receive what God longed to give. I’m utterly convinced that God is speaking to us all the time, but all too often we are too busy/blind/deaf/unaware/dismissive to notice.

This season invites us to look gently and honestly at the “clutter” we’ve allowed to accumulate: the worries, habits, resentments, distractions, and spiritual dust we’ve ignored. Some clutter is loud and obvious. Some is subtle: the tired heart, the cynical attitude, the quiet heaviness we’ve carried for far too long.

The anticipatory waiting of Advent invites us to find God just a little space. One small corner of our hearts and things will change. Perhaps we’ll feel lighter, more alive, our hearts have more space for others again. That’s the heart of our mission here at OLR Parish: To be a to be a vibrant community which actively accompanies people to encounter Jesus… and we fulfil this when we listen to those gentle nudges and serve those around us. Those inner whispers that say, “Go say hello.” “Offer to help.” “Forgive.” “Reach out to the person on your mind.” “Make time for Me.”

Imagine what God could do in our parish if each of us made just a little more room for Him this Advent. Imagine the warmth people would feel when they walk through our doors at Christmas because Christ has found more space to come alive in the hearts of His people. When He finds room in the inn of our hearts, everything else begins to flourish.

Pilgrim well through advent, and happy cleaning!

-Fr Gerard