Holding Baby Jesus in Adoration

                “My dear loving Lord, today I think of Mary holding You as a newborn babe and how she must have been overwhelmed with love and awe, knowing that the infant in her arms was from her, yet also was from God, and was God. This complicated yet beautiful thought must have gone round and round in her mind as she gazed down upon Your face. She must have been completely filled with love and peace as You rested in her arms. Her eyes must have been locked upon You as she watched You sleep, completely at peace. I think of You opening Your eyes as You wake and the first thing You see is Mary looking back at You with all that love, peace and Joy. She greets You with a smile and a kiss and You are completely loved. That is adoration in its purest form.

                “Oh dear Lord, I pray that all people, especially myself, will be able to gaze upon You in adoration with that same look of love, joy and peace. May we also hold You in our arms and lock our loving gaze on You. There is nothing more important at that moment than to remain suspended in that love and peace. I pray that You will be able to look out upon Your people and see their faces in love and adoration with a smile and a kiss in their hearts. Dear loving Lord, may I always find the time to stop what I am doing, even if just for a moment, and hold You in my heart with that same adoration, love, peace and joy that Mary had as she held You in her arms.”

Dear Baby Jesus, Set their Hearts Aflame

                “My dear Lord, I imagine You today lying in the manger, an innocent baby, surprising the world by coming clothed as an infant - helpless, unable to walk or talk, completely reliant on Your creations to care for You. Mary and Joseph humbly and whole heartedly took on that care. The animals also played an unexpected role in Your care, providing whatever they could, even if it was just the warmth of their bodies and breath in the stable. They didn’t need the intelligence and skills of humans to be able to serve their creator. Next came the shepherds, simple and yet sure in their trust in the angel’s words and in their adoration for Your divine gift lying in the manger. They didn’t need further explanation or proof or history lessons or wealth, they knew in their hearts who You were and they came to give thanks and adore. Then came the Kings who brought vast knowledge and wealth, and they also came with a single purpose to see and adore, to see the Lord incarnate. They traveled far and wide and avoided obstacles and dangers to see what was below the shining star with complete trust that the infant was the Savior of the World. All these people, completely unrelated and from very different cultures, all came with a united purpose. This is the way You created us, to be united as one in prayer, love and adoration for You, and to receive Your love and adoration as well, and to share that love for each other.

“Oh dear baby Jesus, how can there be those who reject You - those who do not believe and those who want to kill You? They were there when You first came and they continue now. How is it that they lose the purity of love for You as the Creator? How do they not recognize You and their need to love and adore You? Oh dear baby Jesus, touch all Your people’s hearts, ignite within them the holy flame of love, setting their hearts ablaze with burning love and desire for You. Dispel their doubts, their fears, their rationalizations, and instead, grant them confidence, courage and understanding that You are the Lord, the Lord who created us and loves us unconditionally. Grant them peace and joy as the love wells up inside them and overflows to all those around them. Show them Your pure love and fill them with hope of life eternal with You. Oh dear baby Jesus lying in the manger, I know You can do this without needing to walk or talk. All You need from Your people is their hearts, their unconditional love like Mary and Joseph, and the unwavering trust of the shepherds and the Kings who gazed upon You when You came clothed as an infant.”

Love Me Completely

                “My Lord, my God, my heavenly King, what do You ask of Your people today?”

                “That they love Me with all their minds and souls, that they love Me completely without hesitation, without holding anything back. Love Me as I love You and let Me transform your lives like the time I fed the multitudes with just a few loaves of bread and fish. Give Me your love, even a drop of it and let Me magnify it. I will make it grow and fill you so that you can share it with others. Love is My gift to you, My Christmas present, just as I sent My only son to you over 2000 years ago. The infant in the manger was My gift of love to all of you. See how I magnified Jesus’ love for Me and for all of you. Through the love of Jesus, all humanity has the opportunity to live with Me for all eternity. That pure, perfect unfailing love was incarnate in the baby Jesus and perfected during His brief time on earth; it culminated in the horrific death on the cross and then, rising from the dead, that love amplified and is offered to each and every one of you. All I ask is that You receive My great love and allow Me to stoke that fire in your souls. Let Me fill you with that pure love and let Me transform Your lives and those around you. Love Me with all your hearts, minds and souls and love Me completely, without hesitation, without holding anything back.”