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Christmas Day Prayer

gerard_van_honthorst_001 O Lord Jesus Christ,
true God from true God,
you became a little child for us so the world you made would be saved.
Just as a child is born to us and a Son is given to us,
may we be born again through you
and always remain in the number
of God’s faithful children;
through your merits, O blessed Savior,
with the Father and the Holy Spirit
you live and reign,
one God,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Collect for the The Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Day, freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p.17 #1

“true God from true God” is a reference to John 1 and the Nicene Creed

“Just as a child is born to us and a Son is given to us” is a reference to Isaiah 9:6

“may we be born again through you” is a reference to John 3

A Prayer for Christmas Eve

gerard_van_honthorst_001 O God,
you were pleased to announce the coming of your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
with choirs of angels who proclaimed with their song,
“Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.”
Grant that we may so pass our time here to your glory,
that at your Son’s second coming
we may rejoice before him.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 11 #1

“you were pleased to announce … with choirs of angels ” is a reference to Luke 2:13

“Glory to God in the highest” is a reference to Luke 2:14

Christmas Prayer

veit-dietrich Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks that in your great mercy and compassion you allowed your dear Son to become incarnate and through him redeemed us from sin and eternal death. Enlighten our hearts by your Holy Spirit that we may always be thankful for such grace and be comforted in all trouble and temptation, and at last, obtain eternal salvation; through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Veit Dietrich

Source of this version: Freely modified from The Lutheran Hymnary, 1913, http://olcc.us/liturgical-resources/collects-veit-dietrich/ (Christmas)

Inward Peace and Goodwill

O Lord Jesus Christ,
by your incarnation you united
things earthly and heavenly.
Fill us with the sweetness
of inward peace and goodwill,
that we may join the heavenly host
in singing praises to your glory;
for you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Rite, 6th Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Collects and Prayers for Use in Church, United Lutheran Church in America, 1935

Variant, as a blessing:

And may He, Who through His Incarnation united earthly things with Heavenly, fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and good will, and make us partakers with the Heavenly Host. Amen.

Source of this version: The Priest to the Altar: Or Aids to the Devout Celebration of Holy Communion Chiefly After the Ancient English Use of Sarum, Peter Goldsmith Medd,
Rivingtons, 1879, 11th Century

Come, Lord Jesus

A lovely Advent prayer in the Celtic style, from prayernadverse.com.

prayer & verse

come-lord-jesus-shadow artwork by my daughter Jillian

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Christmas Blessings

For Christmas Eve

May God Almighty, who by the Incarnation of his only Son drove away the darkness of the world and by his glorious birth enlightened this most holy night, drive away from us the darkness of sins and enlighten our hearts with the light of Christian graces. Amen.

And may he, who willed that the great day of his most holy birth should be told to the shepherds by an angel, pour on us the refreshing shower of his blessing, and guide us by him, our Shepherd, to the pastures of everlasting joy. Amen.

And may he, who through his Incarnation united earthly things with heavenly, fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and good will, and make us partakers with the heavenly host. Amen.

For Christmas Day

May God almighty, who made this most holy day to be sacred by the birth of his Son, bless us, and rouse our minds to heavenly things. Amen.

And may he, who has placed him who is the bread of angels in the manger of the church to be the food of faithful creatures, both cause us in this present life to taste the sweetness of eternal joys, and lead us in that which is to come to the participation of everlasting rewards. Amen.

And may he who willed his infant form to be clothed in worthless rags, clothe us with the adorning of the robes of heaven. Amen.

Source: Gregorian and Mozarabic Rites

Source of this version: Modified from The Priest to the Altar: Or Aids to the Devout Celebration of Holy Communion Chiefly After the Ancient English Use of Sarum, Peter Goldsmith Medd, Rivingtons, 1879

Swedish Christmas Prayer

church_of_sweden_2856028423629 Merciful God, loving Father,
we give you thanks and praise
that you have mercifully fulfilled
the word of your promise to the patriarchs
and sent your only Son
to become truly human
for our salvation and blessedness.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
eternal praise be to you,
that you, being rich, for our sakes became poor,
that we through your poverty might become rich;
that you have become our brother,
that we with you might become the children of God.
Grant that you may be born in our hearts,
just as you, though you are Lord of lords,
have for our sakes become a child,
so give us the right childlike mind.
You are the brightness of the Father’s glory
and image of his person,
renew us in your holy likeness.

Heavenly Light,
lighten us through the darkness of this world.
Eternal Life, give us life in you.
Great Prince of Peace, grant us your peace,
and keep us ever in your kingdom,
that we may praise and magnify you in your glory:
you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Swedish Rite: a translation of “Handbok för svenska kyrkan” by Eric Esskildsen Yelverton, 1921, Litany Prayer for Christmas Day, p. 52-53

Advent Prayer

Advent 1

O Lord,
raise up your power and come to deliver us,
that we who are oppressed by temptations
may be defended by your power,
that the hosts of the enemy may never prevail against us.
Hear us in your mercy, O Lord Christ,
who with the Father and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns,
one God,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p.16 #2 (Advent 4)

Preserve Us with Your Grace and Mercy

veit-dietrich

Lord God, heavenly Father, we give you worthy thanks for giving a blessed, gracious baptism, first through John the Baptist, and have brought it also to us with the promise of the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit and eternal life through your Son, Jesus Christ. Preserve us in this faith with your grace and mercy, that we may never doubt your promise, but be comforted in all temptations. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may renounce sin and always continue in the righteousness given us in baptism, until by your grace, we obtain eternal salvation; through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Veit Dietrich

Source of this version: Freely modified from The Lutheran Hymnary, 1913, http://olcc.us/liturgical-resources/collects-veit-dietrich/ (Advent 4)

Give Your Ministers Burning Zeal

Advent 1

O Lord God,
at the first coming of your Son Jesus Christ,
you sent John the Baptist in the spirit and power of Elijah
to prepare the way before him.
Grant to the ministers of your Word and sacraments
the same burning zeal to prepare the way for his coming again;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 47 #1 (Ember Days in Advent)