God of power and mercy,
Open our hearts in welcome.
Remove the things that hinder us from
receiving Christ with joy
so that we may share his wisdom and
become one with him in glory
for he lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
Adapted from Waiting With Joy, Year B: Weekly Reflections on the Sunday Readings, one of RENEW International's Advent resources for small group, individual or family prayer and reflection.