Prayers for Christmas Day

Though we've spent the past four weeks preparing for the Lord's coming, we cannot forget the deep spiritual significance of all we do throughout the feast of Christmas. As you and your family and friends share gifts of love with one another and gather for the great feasting and celebrating that this season deserves, here are a few prayers to help you center yourselves on the great love God has for us in sending His only Son to be our Lord, our King, our Christ;




From The Liturgy of the Hours (The Divine Office) for Christmas Day:
Almighty God and Father of light,
a child is born for us and a son is given to us.
Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven
in the silent watches of the night,
and now your Church is filled with wonder
at the nearness of her God.
Open our hearts to receive his life
and increase our vision with the rising of dawn,
that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Opening Gifts
Loving God:
We gather surrounded by a wealth of signs, symbols and reminders. Our tree, ever green and fragrant, reminds us of the everlasting life you’ve promised.

Our Home is decorated with signs of our joy at the presence of Jesus among us. Spread at our feet are gifts, symbols of the love we share.

We pray in gratitude for the gifts,
And even more, for the givers. In each gift we see a sign of love, Love that begins with you and finds its fullest expression in your greatest gift to us: Your Son, Jesus. Through Jesus we pray in joy and thanksgiving on this Christmas Day.
Amen.

Christmas Day Table Prayer
Lord God of life,
together with the beautiful traditions of decorating the Christmas tree, or singing carols and giving gifts, this Christmas dinner is an important part of our celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Come, Lord Jesus
And surround our feast day table as we delight in this joyous season of Christmas. Gift us in this meal with the taste of happiness as we savor this coming together of family and friends. As sparkling stars and singing angels rejoiced at the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem, so may we take great joy in this our Christmas dinner celebration.

May you, our God
Bless our feast, our family and our friends in Your holy name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen+

From your parish family, we wish you and all your loved ones the happiest and merriest of Christmas Feasts. May this season of blessings and joy be for you the start of a New Year filled with all of the graces you seek.

Merry Christmas!

Peace and God Bless