‘Why is the manger so important? Because it is the sign, and not by chance, of Christ’s coming into this world. It is how he announces his coming.’

Let us pray to John Paul I “to obtain for us ‘the smile of the soul,’ a transparent smile that does not deceive.”

“The Holy Spirit wants us to concentrate on the here and now, because the time and place in which we find ourselves are themselves grace-filled.”

On this night, brothers and sisters, let us allow the women of the Gospel to lead us by the hand, so that, with them, we may glimpse the first rays of the dawn of God’s life rising in the darkness of our world.

“In the course of this week, let us cling to the certainty that God can forgive every sin. He forgives everyone. He can bridge every distance, and turn all mourning into dancing.”

"Dear brothers and sisters, may our holy father Ignatius help us to preserve discernment, our precious legacy, as an ever timely treasure to be poured out on the Church and on the world."