Make room … in your hearts.  – 2 Corinthians 7:2
Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. – Luke 2: 19

I was away, out of town, and went to a local church to worship. Towards the beginning of the service, a family came up. It was explained they had a tradition there of lighting an advent candle each week before Christmas, as a reminder to check and make sure that Christ has a place in our heart.

The little boy stood by his dad, who lit a long match and handed it to his wife, who lit the advent candle. She lit it once, and the flame went out. She lit it again, and once more it went out. The third time she lit it, the flame flickered but did not go out.

It was a good reminder to me to do a room check. Am I am making a place for Christ in my heart?

I would have to admit that I do have room in my heart, however sometimes I have other things in that room – especially now at this busy season of the year. The room gets crowded. It gets to be time to re-evaluate my priorities.

Whenever I see candles burning this season – or anytime of the year – I hope I’m once again reminded to check and make sure there is room in my heart for Christ.

- – - written by Sally I. Kennedy.

About the Author : Sally is the author of Irish Thursdays: More Little Parables, Words from the Heart, and 52 Little Parables from Ireland . She lives in south Florida, with her husband Ben.

(Pic of angels announcing Jesus birth to shepherds shown above.)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria). And everyone went to his own town to register

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her
firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to the one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this  child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen , which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2: 1-20 NIV)

Solemnity of Christ The King

We celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, on the fourth sunday of November, every year. On this day, the Scripture readings remind us about what sort of Kingdom Jesus came to establish.

The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man’s thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

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Today’s Mass establishes the titles for Christ’s royalty over men:

1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; “All things were created by Him”;

2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession;

3) Christ is Head of the Church, “holding in all things the primacy”;

4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.

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Today’s Mass also describes the qualities of Christ’s kingdom.

This kingdom is:

1) supreme, extending not only to all people but also to their princes and kings;

2) universal, extending to all nations and to all places;

3) eternal, for “The Lord shall sit a King forever”;

4) spiritual, Christ’s “kingdom is not of this world”.

Lets hail our king and praise Him in every way we can. Amen.