O Emmanuel

Louisa Florentin

Friday, December 23, 2022

Come,
Emmanuel,
God's presence among us, our King, our Judge:
save us, Lord our God!

Who is resting in the manger of your heart?

Before we collectively answer “Jesus,” let’s really ponder on this.

Christmas is coming tomorrow night. How are you setting yourself, your space, your time, and your heart apart for Jesus? Will you make room for Him in the inn? Or will you haphazardly set up a makeshift shelter?

Here’s the thing: God does not care how you make space for Him, or even how much space you make for Him. What matters is that you do at all.

Maybe you’re trying to chase a tight deadline that’s taking up so much of our time and energy. Maybe there’s someone you’re holding a grudge against and can’t seem to forgive just yet. Or maybe there’s a problem before you that’s stealing your attention from the present moment. Whatever it is, however big or urgent it may seem right now, try to make space for our King to be born this Christmas. Make room for His grace and mercy to pour into your life.

What might that look like in a practical sense? While God isn’t too fussy about the how, here are some suggestions if you’re looking for ideas:

Lighting a candle on Christmas day to add an element of calm and comfort amid the holiday festivities

Going to Adoration for an hour during your holiday break

Leaving an empty chair with plates and cutlery set up for Jesus during your Christmas meal

Pondering on the image of Jesus' Nativity, and meditating on what 'gift' you could bring to the Infant Jesus in the manger

Ending this year and starting the new year on a clean slate by going to Confession

Leaving five minutes of sacred silence after your personal prayer time to invite Jesus to speak to you (you can certainly stay silent for longer, if you're able to)

God is our King and Saviour, whether we can give Him all of our hearts or if we can only give Him a small piece of it. He can do so much with whatever we give Him, so let’s give what we can! This Christmas (and beyond) let’s truly live as if God is among us, because He is. Let’s set apart space for our King to rest in the manger of hearts.