Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Greetings in the name of the Lord who is coming into our midst!

Is There Any Room at the Inn?

How will you welcome Jesus this Christmas?

So many voices and images compete for our attention, our time, and our energy. There are literally thousands of advertisements and applications out there promising to make us happy, to help us get ahead, or to solve our problems.

Now, all of these devices keep us plugged in, and that has some real benefits. But at the same time, the more plugged in we are, the less reflective we can become. We are less apt to stand back and ask, “What is my life really about?”

This is one reason why the season of Advent is such a blessing. During these four weeks, we are invited to cut back on the noise—and at just the right time. As the world tends to get noisier, God asks us to spend a little more time in quiet prayer, reflecting on the greatest gift ever given to us.

Too Busy for God? It’s not only the noise that threatens to overwhelm us. Our many priorities and responsibilities consume our energy as well. Work can be demanding. Family obligations and activities, while good and upbuilding, can drain us—not to mention any community activities, schoolwork, and exercise commitments we have made.

Life can become so very busy—to the point where we can feel overcommitted, worn down, and stressed out. It’s ironic, but the faster we move, the less time we seem to have. The more we accomplish, the less fulfilled we feel. And when we finally do decide to get a better handle on our lives, we can’t seem to find the time to reflect on our lives or make any significant changes.

Read it all.