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A Christmas Prayer
"Lord Jesus Christ, you have come so many times to us and found no resting place. Forgive us for our crowded lives, our vain haste and our preoccupation with self. Come again, O Lord, and though our hearts are a jumble of voices, and our minds overlaid with many fears, find a place however humble, where You can begin to work Your wonder as You create peace and joy within us.
In some hidden corner, in some out-of-the-way spot, we can clear away the clutter, and shut out the noise and darkness, come be born again in us, and we shall kneel in perfect peace with the wisest and humblest of people.
Help us enter into this Christmas celebration with humility, with joy, and most of all with a desire to discover you anew! Yes Lord, give us a Christmas from within, that we may share it from without, on all sides, all around us, wherever there is a need.
God help us-- every one-- to share the blessings of Jesus Christ with others, in whose name we keep Christmas holy. Amen"
...this was a prayer sent out to parishioners from our priest.
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Amen!
I have to give a talk this week on 'More Power through Purification'. What a perfect prayer to use that with!
Thanks Alice!!!
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Reader Isaac Lambertsen translated a prayer before Christmas originally from the Serbian tradition:
Prayer before the Nativity of Christ
When the Priest visiteth the home of any of his parishioners, on entering the house he saith: Peace be to this house, and to those who dwell therein! Then, standing in the appointed place within the home, he beginneth:
Blessed is our God… O heavenly King… Trisagion through Our Father. Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times). And,
Let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy!
And the Priest readeth this prayer:
O God, Father almighty, Who hast restored to his primal dignity man who through sin had fallen away from Thy goodness, and wast well-pleased that Thine only-begotten Son be born in Bethlehem of Judæa of the Ever-virgin Mary, that the whole world might recognize Thee, and Thy Son, and the Holy Spirit, in indivisible being! We now humbly entreat Thee Who lovest mankind: During these holy days accept from us our fasting and prayers, which are offered up like incense, unto a savor of sweet spiritual fragrance; and vouchsafe that, with the Magi and the shepherds, all who dwell in this house may worship Thy beloved Son at the time of His divine nativity. Wherefore, following the preaching of the prophets who proclaimed the glad tidings that Christ is born unto us in Bethlehem, be ye of good cheer! On the morrow, approach the new-born Emmanuel straightway. Go ye forth with the angels, be ye of good cheer, and rejoicing with compunction, glorify Him thus: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men! With the Church chant ye: Christ is born! Give ye glory! Christ is borne upon the earth! Have mercy, O new-born Christ, upon all who live here, that, honoring Thy divine nativity with a pure conscience, they may be able to attain without condemnation to the heavenly kingdom at the time appointed by Thee, and with me may magnify and glorify Thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
And the Priest blesseth them with the cross, and after greeting them with a kiss, intoneth the dismissal.
A translation of the Church Slavonic text in The Supplemental Euchologion (Beograd: Press of the Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 1975), pp. 384-385.
Last edited by Fr David Straut; 12/13/10 01:29 PM.
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One of my favorite Christmas prayers is the work of Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp.
I have used it in the Nativity liturgy every year--our custom is to light individual candles just before the final benediction, then sing "Silent Night" (one verse in German, the rest in English) by the light of the candles. I then offer this prayer:
On this day of your birth, Lord Jesus
wonderful and adorable child,
we want to praise you and thank you.
You are the unapproachable God,
yet the shepherds meet you in the stable.
No tongue can pronounce your Name
which is above all other names,
yet Mary calls you, “My little one”
You are raised above the highest heavens
yet you rest in a manger.
You are the Light of all lights,
yet you are born in our dark night of sin.
With the angels and shepherds
we surround your manger and sing:
“Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to His people on earth.”
And because you chose to make yours
the sorrows of our humanity,
Give us a share of your divinity,
O you, first born of the Virgin Mary,
our savior and our brother.
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