Recall the last time you had company come to your home. Maybe it was family visiting from out of town or a friend you hand't seen in awhile. How did you prepare for them? You likely cleaned the house, planned nice meals, and cleared your schedule to spend time with them—all the while looking forward to their arrival.
If we spend so much time preparing for the coming of friends or family—meticulously cleaning our homes, setting plans for how we can enjoy our time together, and so expectantly awaiting their arrival—how much more ought we to be watching and preparing for the coming of Christ? How do we prepare teh home of our heart as we await his coming?
Up Next in Opening the Word
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3rd Sunday of Advent—December 16, 2018
The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete, or Rejoice, Sunday—and all of the readings for this week invite us to do just that. This first reading from the prophet Zephaniah opens with a threefold call to joy, "Shout for joy… sing joyfully…. Be glad and exult with all your heart" ...
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2nd Sunday of Advent—December 10, 2017
The word conversion comes from the Latin word convertere, meaning "to turn around." When was the last time you were driving somewhere and got lost on the way to your destination? Maybe you were following the directions, but they led to the wrong place. Or maybe you thought you could figure out ho...
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Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)—Dece...
When we think of the story of Christmas, we usually think of the "infancy narrative" of Luke's Gospel: Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, no room in the inn, Jesus laid in the manger, angels, and shepherds. This is the familiar account of Christ's birth, and we are surrounded by reminders of...
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