# Opening Our Hearts to God: Advent Reflections on Revelation 3:20
*2015-12-04*

> Bill Young reflects on Revelation 3:20 and a prayer from Pope Francis, asking Jesus to open our ears and hearts during the Advent season.

## Reading the Scripture

We begin with Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” This vivid image reminds us that Christ is always at the threshold of our lives, waiting for us to invite Him in.

## A Prayer from Pope Francis

“O Jesus, open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize God’s voice and call. Awaken in us a desire to follow in Your footsteps.” This prayer, taken from Pope Francis’s Advent booklet *Open Our Hearts to God*, asks the Lord to sharpen our spiritual hearing so that we can discern His presence.

## Seeing Christ in Our Daily Rush

Bill asks us to consider how often Christ comes into our lives unnoticed, because we are absorbed in our own thoughts and the busyness of the season—shopping, decorating, and planning. He invites us to pause, to become aware of the knock at the door of our hearts, and to respond with acceptance.

*Advent calls us to listen attentively, so we may open the door and welcome Christ into every moment of our lives.*