Come Hungry

With just a few days left until Christmas, Ivonne J. Hernandez invites us to persevere in the waiting and not let our hearts be filled with unnecessary things.

“What can I bring?” This is the polite thing to ask when we are invited to a gathering. Even when the host says that all that is required is our presence, most of us feel better bringing something. We do not like showing up empty-handed. It’s funny how kids tend not to worry about that. They know deep inside that what they need to bring cannot be bought from the store on the way to the party. The gift for the host is their presence … and their appetite.

It can be very frustrating to spend a lot of money, time, and effort preparing a feast for your guests and then have some of them arrive not hungry. Perhaps they came from another party or didn’t know dinner would be served. Whatever the reason is, their capacity to receive has been diminished. They can still receive friendship and love, but they are not capable of receiving the feast that was prepared for them. They can’t receive your gift.

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Advent is a time of preparation, of making room for God to be born in our hearts. That means we need to let go of things taking up the space meant for Him. If our hearts had an index and we looked up the “Christmas” section, what would we find inside? Would we find an empty place waiting for a Savior? Is the way clear, or is it blocked by unnecessary things? Nature abhors a vacuum; something will always push to fill the empty space within. Just as we zealously save a seat for a loved one at a packed venue, we must stand up to the pressure to fill every minute with noise and activity. Jesus is indeed coming. This space is meant for Him.

During the last week of Advent, the Church prays the O Antiphons. These ancient prayers express the deep longing and hunger for the Messiah, the deepest desire of every human heart. Come, Lord Jesus!

O Wisdom, O Lord, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Radiant Dawn, O King of All Nations, O Emmanuel … Come!

We need to let go of our expectations of what things should look like and show up hungry for Christmas. We have to let go of the past. Whether it is happy memories… or painful ones, the gift of God is in the present. We can only receive Him if we make room for Him in our hearts. We need to learn to be in the discomfort of the empty space; we need to learn to persevere in our hunger.

Don’t ruin your appetite. He is coming … O Bread of Life … Come!