Let Our Hearts Be Your Manger

A beautiful Christmas prayer taken from the book Forty Personal Prayers (Part 1) by Msgr. Ruperto C. Santos, STL

You are God and yet you chose to be one of us.
You are divine and yet you allowed yourself to be human.
You are in heaven and yet you came down to earth.

Born in a humble stable, you experience our pain and suffering.

Out of your great love you became man that we may be like God;
You became human that we may be divine;
You endured the cross and shed your blood that we may be saved
from sin and rise to new life.

O dear Jesus, now I know that Christmas is love.
You come in the flesh: God's love made visible.
I beseech you that I may have this love on Christmas day!

Love to those who have one one to wish them a merry Christmas.
Love to those who have no presents.
Love to those who have no new dress or new pair of shoes to wear.
Love to those who have nothing to eat.
Love to those who are homeless.
Love to those whose families are torn apart by the need to work in faraway places.

O dear Jesus, your birth is your gift of love to us.
We welcome you with love.
Let our hearts be your manger;
Let our life be your home;
Let our house be your kingdom.

O dear Jesus, your birth is God's precious gift to us.
If we can open ourselves to you,
If we can give up everything for you,
We will have a meaningful gift for you.
If we can share you with others it will be our best gift to them.

Truly, Christmas is not just a memory but a blessed living event.
For you are now born in our hearts and share our very life.

Amen.

Merry Christmas!