O God of our Longings, we long to see your face.
The list of longings people have today can seem endless. Some are in dire need of employment and health care; others, the basic need of food and shelter. Still others long for a listening ear, a word of encouragement, a loving gaze, a welcoming smile. During this Advent season of longing and waiting, may we witness the Word-made-flesh to all we meet. Let us pray with the psalmist, "Lord hear the longing of the poor, listen to their every word, and give them heart."
-- Sr. Marcia Ziska
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[The Monastery of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kan., is home to 140 Benedictine sisters whose presence has been in the Kansas-Missouri area for the last 150 years. While primarily engaged in education, the sisters also sponsor the Keeler Women's Center; Sophia Center, which houses their spirituality programs; and Maur Hill-Mount Academy and Benedictine College, which they co-sponsor with St. Benedict's Abbey.]
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This Sunday scripture commentary appears in full in NCR's sister publication Celebration, a worship and homiletic resource. Request a sample issue at CelebrationPublications.org.
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