A Prayer before the Crib

God, our Father,
as we look upon this crib, we thank you for all who are part of the Christmas story and our story, too. We thank you for the gift of Jesus, your Son, who was born like us, lived like us, struggled like us, and who has shown us how to be fully human; to our lives, he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy and love. May this crib be a beacon of hope for us and for the whole world as we face the coming days with courage and renewed strength. May the star of Bethlehem which shone brightly over the first crib stand guard over our home,
filling it and all the earth with light and peace. And may we know, believe and share the Christmas message of Emmanuel, God is with us. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the
beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.