Ô Child, who wished to have a manger for your cradle; Ô Creator of the universe, who have stripped yourself of divine glory; Ô Redeemer, who offered your vulnerable body as a sacrifice for the salvation of humanity!
May the splendor of your birth illuminate the night of the world. May the power of your message of love thwart the superb snares of the evil one. The gift of your life may make us understand more and more clearly the value of the life of every human being.
Too much blood is still shed on the earth! Too much violence and too many conflicts disturb the peaceful coexistence of nations!
You come to bring us peace. You are our peace! You alone can make of us a "purified people" which belongs to you forever, a people "zealous for good" (Tit 2,14).
Because a Child was born to us, a child was given to us! What an unfathomable mystery is hidden in the humility of this Child! We would like to we would like to hug him.
You, Mary, who watch over your almighty Son, give us your eyes to contemplate him with faith; give us your heart to adore it with love.
In his simplicity, the Child of Bethlehem teaches us to rediscover the true meaning of our existence; it teaches us "to live a sober, upright and devoted life in this world" (Tit 2,12)
Ô Holy Night, long awaited, which forever united God and man! Rekindle our hope. You fill us with ecstatic wonder. You assure us of the triumph of love over hatred, of life over death.
For this we remain absorbed in prayer.
In the luminous silence of your Nativity, you, Emanuele, continue to speak to us. And we are ready to listen to you. Amen!
Prayer of John Paul II in honor of the Child Jesus, recited at Christmas Mass in Rome in 2003.