Come Christ of Compassion; Open the Doors of Our Homes

Reflection by Taylor V.

Come Christ of compassion. Compassion is a word which I believe to be often played out during the times of the holiday season. People everywhere are taking time out of their monotonous daily routine to go out to communities and serve the less fortunate. The Salvation Army stands at the doors of grocery stores accepting donations, families serve at soup kitchens to feed the hungry, and Toys for Tots kicks off the giving season by wrapping presents for the children who don’t get a Christmas.

We give during this season, but Christ has compassion for mankind each and every day. To explain Christ as a person of great compassion is to say that He is sympathetic and even empathetic to those who are less fortunate. Perhaps remembering Him as this kind of person helps and motivates us to do and be the same. In a world where 780 million people lack safe drinking water, and 7 billion do not have the comfort of a shelter over their heads, we are called to open the doors of our homes and be compassionate in the exact way that Christ does for us. Christ opens the doors of our homes because He sees in us what we don’t see in ourselves. We are a worthy people made by God who deserve kindness and nurturing.

If only we saw that in the man begging on the street, or our annoying next door neighbor, or the man sentenced to a year in prison for defending his family. If we can capture this iridescent beauty of compassion and open our eyes and the doors of our homes to society then we are completing that very mission that Christ was born on this earth to help us achieve.  Christ is born and we celebrate this amazing nativity story because we are rejoicing in the fact that a King is coming to lead our people!  By Christ being born and living among us, we can see the path which we need to follow to live a fulfilling life. Christ is compassionate; He feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and teaches the parables in the temple. His door is open and our Advent challenge is to ask ourselves, “Is my door open? Am I modeling this truly Christian life by being compassionate?”

In this advent season, remember to have an open mind, open ears, open eyes, open arms, and most importantly, an open door. When there is a man without a coat, give him yours. When there is a woman standing at the register wondering how she will pay for her groceries, offer to buy them for her. When your grandfather wants to tell you his story about the war in Vietnam for the fiftieth time, listen. We are a joyful people and we hope to be a compassionate body of Christ through Advent, Christmas, and the rest of the New Year. Christ has come and opened your door; now let it be open for anyone in need.

Taylor V. is a sophomore Theology major, and a member of the Marianist Leadership Program.