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Reflections On The Room
By NATHAN FRANKART
Peace of Christ to you! No one tells you that the further along you get in your academic career, the more you have to “bring work with you on break.” I find this idea preposterous and ridiculous. Alas, this has been the story of being home in December this year — plenty of reading, plenty of writing, plenty of things to keep my mind busy in the Advent season.
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But in the times that I have to get away from St. Thomas Aquinas and from the confessors of the church, I reflect on my room. For the past 13 years, from when I was young in middle school all the way up to now, I have slept in the same room here in Amherst. I’ve seen it change and transform depending on my preferences or whatever thing I was particularly into at that particular moment. (It turns out I am not that interested in Guinness Book of World Records anymore.) Now, my childhood room has been transformed into a guest room. The decorations are simple, and it is obvious that I do not live here throughout the year. That’s because it’s almost always clean.
Of course, this leads me to think of my own heart, the place I return to over and over again over these years of formation. How have I decorated this space or part of me? Is it apparent that I am utilizing this space? Am I taking care of it through diligent cleaning? Is it ready or presentable to be the dwelling place of our Lord? I can’t say that it is. Dirt, neglect, or even brokenness can crowd this space.
Our inner room, where the Father hears our prayers, can be lead into disarray if we forget to enter into it. Jesus repeatedly asks us to dwell in His abundant heart, but this is not simply a one-way exchange — for if we dwell in Christ, He is dwelling within us. And I, for one, want to be sure that room that I provide Jesus to dwell within me is one that is open and honest. Don’t worry about the mess, because He will help with the tidying up. Just be the person that opens the door.
