Vatican City, Dec 31, 2017 / 09:20 am
At Vespers for the close of 2017, Pope Francis said that the only adequate response to God's gift of His Son Jesus is one of profound gratitude for the many graces we've been given, particularly in the last year.
From Mary "the Church has inherited and continuously inherits this inner perception of fullness, which nourishes a sense of gratitude, as the only human response worthy of the immense gift of God," the Pope said Dec. 31.
"A heart wrenching gratitude which, starting from the contemplation of that Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, extends to everything and everyone, to the whole world."
"It is a 'thank you' that reflects Grace; it does not come from us, but from Him; it does not come from me, but from God… In this atmosphere created by the Holy Spirit, we raise to God thanksgiving for the year that draws to a close, recognizing that all (that is) good is his gift."