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Thought for the Day – 9 December 2017 – Saturday of the First Week of Advent & the Memorial of St Juan Diego(1474-1548) , the Marian Visionary of the Miracle of Mary of Guadalupe – Five Lessons from the Manger

The Surprise:  God does not manifest in great events but in small surprises.   The boy in a manger, who would have imagined that God among us shows Himself like this?   The Christian lives the surprise in the small gifts of the day to day.

The Silence:   Mary meditates all this in her heart, with a look that goes deeper and finds the meaning of things.   The Christian feeds on silence, prays and asks the Father for an understanding of what happens to him, in order to discern the best options.

The Light:   On the darkest night of the year the Light of Jesus manifests itself.   God visits our darkness, the places where we think He could never be.   We are not abandoned children but infinitely loved.   The Christian lives this hope.

The Poor:   The shepherds, despised by all, are the first recipients of the announcement of the birth of Jesus.   Always the little ones are the favourites of God.   The message is given to the poorest, to whom no one gives importance.   This is particularly obvious today, on the Memorial of St Juan Diego, the Marian Visionary of the Miracle of Mary of Guadalupe, for whom we ask, please pray for us St Juan!

These are the five lessons we learn from the manger.   Throughout this month, we pray that we might get closer Christ’s coming to us on this Christmas Day, in your prayer proposals and in your union with the Holy Father and his intentions.

A Holy and Blessed Advent!

(Taken partially from Father António Valério, SJ – Director of the Pope’s Global Network of Prayer in Portugal)