Pope urges Christians to open the heart to Jesus

December 23, 2013 - With Christmas just two days away, Pope Francis on Monday urged Christians not to close their hearts, but rather to imitate Mary in making place for Jesus who is coming. Delivering a brief homily during his morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican, the Pope explained that besides Jesus’ birth and his second coming on the last day – there is also a third coming, which is at Mass each day when he visits his Church and each one of us. Our soul, like the Church, he explained, resembles Mary who is keeping watch expecting her son. Keeping watch is the virtue of the pilgrim, the Pope said, adding, “we are all pilgrims.” But the Pope asked whether we are truly keeping watch or are closed, awake or closed inside a hotel far from our pilgrimage; whether we are pilgrims or wanderers. This is why the Church invites us to pray saying, “Come, open our soul so that during these days we may watch out in expectation.” The Holy Father further asked whether there is place for the Lord in the heart or there is place only for celebration, shopping and noise; whether our heart closed with a polite note saying, “Please do not disturb.”