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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Right Rev Mary Stallard, Bishop of Llandaff.

Good morning. The most surprising thing I unpacked from my bag when we arrived on holiday this year was a tiny figure of the infant Jesus from our nativity set.

A few weeks before our summer break I鈥檇 been filming a video for advent with some children. I鈥檇 taken some props with me to make it look as if we were preparing for Christmas. I鈥檇 put the Christ-figure in an inside pocket of my rucksack and forgotten it was there!

When I discovered that he was with us on holidays I placed him on our meal table - His presence offered both a familiar comfort in a strange place as well as a reminder of a God who comes to us in the most unexpected ways.

It reminded me of a prayerful custom called 鈥淧osada鈥� originating in Mexico and practised by Christian across the world, where families welcome nativity figures in their homes in the days before Christmas. By making space to host symbols of the holy family there鈥檚 an opportunity to reflect upon how we remember, pray for, and welcome those in the world today who need shelter and a safe place to live.

In the same way, having figure of a tiny child with us on holiday offered me a daily reminder of the most vulnerable children in the world who need us all to be mindful of their needs. I鈥檓 used to thinking about Jesus as a baby at Christmas, but encountering a reminder of this every morning on holiday helped me to think more deeply about what it might mean to see God in everyone we encounter each day of our lives.

Loving God, thank you that you are always with us. Help us to notice your presence even in surprising places. Touch our hearts that we may always find ways to offer welcome and kindness to others. Amen