December 5, 2014

This story appears in the Advent feature series. View the full series.

"O Compassionate God, open our hearts and minds to prepare us for your son's coming. Incarnation readiness calls us to deeper understandings. Jesus did not become flesh at just one point in history. God's loving, living Word remains close to us not only in the Eucharist but nearby, in those often overlooked. These are the adults whose electric service is disconnected; the addicted mom whose little ones are in state custody; the homeless sleeping in shelters and eating free lunches in church basements; the guests in the local Catholic Worker house. What a grace to know even a few of them. They have much to teach us about Jesus' coming."

- Sr. Barbara McCracken, OSB

During Advent 2013, NCRonline.org invited the sisters of the Monastery of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kan., to contribute O Antiphons; Global Sisters Report is sharing some of them this year in Visual Life. You can read the full series as it is republished this month here.