Prayer: Simple Christmas Prayer
Dear Jesus, this Christmas my prayer is
that I open my fragile smallness
to the Greatness of the Gift
so as to become part of the Gift.
Prayer: A Catholic Reflective Christmas Prayer
"If we stumble along the way that leads to communion with you because of your smallness, you are capable of removing all the obstacles that prevent us from doing this.
There is a ruthless competition between governments, churches, peoples, within families, from one parish to another: Who of us is the greatest? The world is festering with painful wounds because of this great illness: Who is the greatest?
But today we have found in you, O Son of God, our one medicine. We, and the whole world, will not find salvation or peace unless we go back to encounter you anew in the manger of Bethlehem... "
Fr Mattá al-Miskīn
Prayer: A Christmas Prayer By Robert Louis Stevenson
“Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
Prayer: Christmas Lunch Prayer
Bless us O Lord, as we pray together,
We thank you on this Christmas day for being born to be with us,
We pray that we may grow in our love for all our brothers and sisters,
Bless this food we eat today,
Bless the hands that made the food.
Bless us O Lord.
Amen
Your Questions, Answered
From the Popes
TOP POPE'S QUOTES ABOUT CHRISTMAS
"ENSURE THAT HOLY CHRISTMAS is never a celebration of commercial consumerism, of appearances or of useless gifts, or of excessive waste, but that it is a celebration of joyfully welcoming the Lord into the crib and into the heart.”
Pope Francis, Meeting with the personnel of the Holy See, 2014
FROM LIFE: Spiritual Ways To Celebrate Christmas
These small spiritual ways to celebrate Christmas invite us to make the most of Christmas time. They are shared with us by the Society of Christian Doctrine of Malta, known as MUSEUM.
- Move from Bethlehem to the cave of Bethlehem...
- Be aware that it is God’s pleasure to be with man...
- Add a prayer as you light the candle wreath...
- Commit yourself to give something to nature...
- Become more real and less virtual...
- Fuel up with a daily reflection or Bible reading...
From the Bible
"The word of God became a human being and lived among us" Jn 1:14
"Jesus was fully human. To us, humanity means frailty and failure; hence, our dilemma. We need a God who is beyond us and yet one with whom we can identify. That was God's intention in the Incarnation. In Jesus, God put himself into a real man who might have lived next door.”
Dr. David L. Mc Kenna
From the Fathers of the Church
“Our Saviour, dearly-beloved, was born today: let us be glad.
For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness.”
St. Leo the Great
CHRISTMAS FAITH QUOTES BY FAMOUS PEOPLE
“It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year but ...There are millions of people lighting candles of hope in our world today. Christmas is a good time to be thankful for them, and for all that brings light to our lives.”
Queen Elizabeth 2nd, Christmas message, 2015