"Let us be merry, put sorrow away."
Polychromed Spanish Nativity ~ 16th c.
At Christmas,/ may Christ in his mercy shield our world,/ tearful and wrapped in fear./ May Mary his mother,/ and our mother too,/ increase courage, pardon and love in us./ We pray to the Lord.
At Christmas,/ may the Church be renewed in delivering good news to an embittered world,/ where dishonesty can appear to be winning,/ where even religious people can have loyalties other than Christ,/ where money and power become new gods./ We pray to the Lord.
At Christmas,/ may Christ breathe new spirit-life into us,/ inspiring us to live in a grateful harmony with the planet God has visited./ We pray to the Lord.
At Christmas,/ we ask good health,/ peace and healing for the members of our families,/ our friends and fellow parishioners./ Bless our Christmas worship;/ as we leave church may we be aware of the many people who have nothing to be glad about./ We pray to the Lord.
At Christmas,/ bless Pope Francis with good health and strength./ Open the minds and hearts of those who want only to hear about the pope and not from the pope./ Bless those who visit the Holy Land these days;/ may it be a land of peace./ We pray to the Lord.
At Christmas,/ we pray for those who have died this past year;/ in their new heavenly home may they see the face of Jesus who pardons,/restores and transfigures./ We pray to the Lord.
At Christmas,/ keep us from becoming cynical in our Covid world,/ our climate change world,/ our political chaos./ Raise up for us leaders who have at heart the good of others./ We pray to the Lord.
