{"id":29657,"date":"2012-12-20T05:30:03","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T11:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=29657"},"modified":"2012-12-20T10:10:54","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T16:10:54","slug":"making-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/12\/making-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday at mass we heard one of the infancy narratives, the one from Matthew (at Tuesday daily mass – \u00a0right now\u00a0it’s Wednesday night!). We’re getting closer and closer to end of the Advent season and the start of Christmas, so we’re starting to hear more about Christ’s birth.<\/p>\n

On Christmas (well, at the Midnight Mass<\/a>), we’ll hear a different infancy narrative, the one from Luke. From Luke we’ll hear the familiar words:<\/p>\n

“She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn\u00a0(Luke 2:7<\/a>)”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We’ve all seen the little reenactments of kiddos dressed up as Mary and Joseph knocking \u00a0at inn after inn, only to be turned away because there is “no room.”<\/em> This phrase came to my mind a week or so ago while I was driving around in traffic – I can’t remember if I let someone in, or if they let me in – but this thought came to mind – how good<\/em> it is to “make room” for others in the world. How good it is to make room for others; how good it is when others make room for you. It’s one of those proverbial “little things” that makes the world a better place. But I’m totally serious – no sentimentality here – it really does\u00a0<\/em>bring goodness into the world.<\/p>\n

\"No<\/a>When we stop and consider others, when we take a moment to recognize their humanity (no those aren’t just steel boxes zooming around and getting in your way – there are human being inside those cars!), then the dynamic shifts, empathy kicks in, and the world gets a little more humane, and a little more holy.<\/p>\n

I’m as guilty as the next person of giving in to the temptation of road rage – just this morning I was inwardly fuming because multiple people (seriously, like 4!) were driving 5-10 mph below the speed limit between Austin and San Antonio – and just on those spots where you can’t pass people too! \u00a0I found myself getting frustrated and feeling stressed about making it to work on time – so I did what I always do when I can feel my stress\/frustration rising – I took some deep breaths and \u00a0said a few Hail Mary’s. Works almost every time (to re-center myself, not make the car in front of me speed up, haha!)
\n\"ACNM-Advent3\"So that’s my simple reflection today, and my Advent challenge. Today, make room for others in the world. Make room for goodness to be born into the world through you – make room for the infant Christ.<\/p>\n

Here’s a couple ways I thought of to make room for others – please post your own, too! Let us know how it goes – \u00a0post a comment and share!<\/p>\n

It’s the little things that make a difference – but seriously.<\/p>\n