Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Advent Wisdom from Henri Nouwen

Prepare the Way of the Lord ... Pere Thomas keeps telling us in his sermons that the days before Christmas must be days of deep prayer to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.  We must be really ready to receive him.  Christ wants to be born in us, but we must be open, willing, receptive, and truly welcoming.  To become that way we have Advent ... This morning I thought the day was completely free and open for prayer.  Now it is evening, and I don't know where the time went.  Somehow the externals of Christmas -- presents, decorations, short visits -- took over the day and drained away like water through a poorly built dike.  How hard it is to remember ... the difference between the urgent and important!
 Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Road to Daybreak

A Prayer for the Day:  O come, O come Emmanuel, God with us ... Fill me with longing for prayerful solitude so that I might find in my heart the holy space where you are born within me each day.  Help me be open and receptive to your presence so I am able to remember what is truly important.  Amen.

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