My parents had this rule growing up that said the house had to be clean before my friends could come over. I was not too fond of that rule. So much so that it was pretty rare that they visited; instead, I’d beg to go to their house. I have the same rule, and my kids seem to hate it as much as I did. My parents weren’t jerks, though; they were trying to teach me that my friends deserved better. They were worth the effort.
Over the years, I would make the excuse that my friends didn’t mind the dirty place. My best friend would visit, no matter how bad it got. Real friends do that. They are there through thick and thin. This simple home policy wasn’t about what the friend would put up with, but with what the friend meant to us. My parents instilled in me the notion that my friends were worth any amount of effort. That is picking up before they got there wasn’t a matter of personal pride; hospitality was a simple act of love for our visiting loved one.
Today is the feast day of our Lady of Loreto. On this feast day, we ponder the mystery of the incarnation by visiting or meditating on the house that Jesus was conceived in. We believe that the house which tradition and devotion maintain Gabriel appeared to Mary in was moved by Crusaders in December of 1294 to Europe. People can still visit it today.
It reminds us that Jesus lives in our hearts, in a way, a permanent visitor but more than that, He is family. My daughter is coming home from college for Christmas break, and we are spending today trying to get a room ready for her. A bed set up, clean sheets, a dresser cleaned out, and a closet for her things. If we go through this much effort, how much more so for the Son of God who died for our sins?
We are a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit; God has redeemed us and prepared the way. Advent is a time to remind us to clean and repair that house in preparation for the birth of our Savior in our hearts. We should be going to the Sacrament of Confession every time we are aware of grave sin in our lives. We should also be spending our time before Mass in prayer, preparing our inner self for an encounter with Jesus Christ. Because at Mass we walk forward to receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Is our soul, which is a living temple for the Lord, ready to receive so grand a visitor?
A homily for Thursday of the 2nd Week in Advent: December 10th, 2020