Seventh Day of Christmas

'Twas in the moon of wintertime, when all the birds had fled,
that mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead;
before their light the stars grew dim, and wondering hunters heard the hymn:

Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found,
a ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round;
but as the hunter braves drew nigh, the angel song rang loud and high:

Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair
as was the ring of glory on the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt with gifts of fox and beaver pelt.

Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free, O seed of Manitou,
the holy Child of earth and heaven is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy, who brings you beauty, peace and joy.

Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

Jean de Brebeuf, ca. 1643; tr. Jesse Edgar Middleton, 1926
(The United Methodist Hymnal #244)

Sunday Prayer

God of Light and Life, we come before you in humility and thankfulness, aware that we are so deeply blessed. May your light and love shine in and through us as we prepare to enter a new year.

We pray for all those whom we have named aloud in this place today, and those whose needs are tucked away in the recesses of the human spirit. God, we are skilled at ignoring our own needs, but sometimes those are the ones most in demand of our time and attention.

Help us as we balance the needs of a hurting world with the ache that hides in the corners of our own souls. Both need your Light. Both are worthy of your blessing. Your grace is more than enough to reach any hurt, any wound, any pain. We give you thanks and praise, O God.

God, we pray that this Christmas will be a time of searching and finding…
…that the baby in the manger will allow us to move from reason to wonder, from intellect to spirit, from doctrine to Mystery – in all its liberating power.
As we observe the child Jesus, remind us God that he has been born again for more than adoration. He comes also to confront and challenge.

May the child in the manger guide us to a greater understanding of our call to be your Light in the world – pointing the way toward freedom from oppression, poverty and fear. May your light shine in us as it shone through Jesus, who taught us to pray together saying…

The Interlude

Lord, in this beautiful time of Christmastide, help us not focus on the gifts given and received, the New Year, or the Ephiphany to come, but on You in our midst.

And what, Lord, do I have for you?
Only my arms to hold the child
Safe from winds hurling through
The branches in this winter wild

Only my heart, only my arms
Open to receive All Love.

ML'E (WinterSong)

Lord, help us to recognise You in our midst. In the cries and silence of the lonely and those who are in pain, in the bright smile and gurgle of a tiny baby, in the storms that surround us, and in the calm moments of peace.

You have moved into our neighbourhood, You are here with us and we thank You for all you have done for us.

Amen

A Prayer For the New Year

Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comforter.
Be our Strength, our Courage, and our Sanctifier.
May this new year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us,
A time of welcoming your graces and gifts,
A time for forgiving freely and unconditionally,
A time for growing in virtue and goodness.

Come, Holy Spirit,
Be with us today and always. Amen.

Thursday prayer

The shopping is over, the decorating done.
The gifts have been given, the wrappings torn away and discarded.
The big meal has been prepared and eaten, the guests have gone home.
And what we are left with is this lasting reality:
Christ is with us.
Amen!

Tuesday Prayer

...unto us a child is born...


Madonna and Child painted by Tim Ashkar

Christmas Eve Vision

On that most holy of nights, when by the sweetening dew of divinity the heavens rained down honey on the whole world, my soul, drenched like Gideon's fleece with dew on the threshing floor of the convent, was intent on meditation, and through the practice of certain devotions, on being present and offering help at the heavenly birth, at which the Virgin brought forth her son, true God and true [human], like a ray of light.

As in a moment of revelation, my soul realized that it had been offered, and had received, in place of its heart so to speak, a tender little boy....When my soul cradled him within itself it suddenly seemed to be completely changed into the same color as him--if that can be called a 'color' which cannot be compared with any visible quality.

Then my soul perceived a meaning that defies explication in the sweet words, 'God shall be all in all'. It felt that it held within itself the Beloved, installed in the heart, and it rejoiced that it was not without the welcome presence of its [Bridegroom], with his most enjoyable caresses. Offered the honeyed draughts of the following, divinely inspired words, it drank them in with a thirst that could not be satisfied: 'Just as I bear the stamp of the substance of God the Father in regard to my human nature, so you bear the stamp of my substance in regard to my human nature, for your receive in your deified soul the outpourings of my divine nature, just as the air receives the sun's rays. Penetrated to the very marrow by this unifying force, you will become fit for a more intimate union with me'.

Gertrud the Great of Helfta

The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness II.6.2
Tr. Alexandra Barratt, Cistercian Publications, 1991, p. 117.

Sunday Prayer

God of the Manger, God of us all, we humbly gather our prayers before you as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth. We give thanks for his life, his ministry, and the hope that his very being can represent for us.

God, we give thanks for all the goodness of the season – for families who gather in from far distances to share the holidays together… for families who cannot be together in the same physical place, but whose spirits are forever bound in the goodness of loving and happy memories of past Christmases.

We thank you for laughter, for friends, for the stories we share and the joy waiting to be unwrapped in this season of gifts and giving.

God we pray for those who are struggling today…
…for those who are walking the path of grieving and cannot bring the symbols of the season into focus. As their tears blur their vision of Christmas trees and angels in the night, we pray that your comforting presence will be known and that your Spirit will enfold all who grieve.

…we pray for all who are ill at this time of the year and whose greatest wish is for days of health and wholeness.

…we pray for those who are lonely, or struggling with addiction, and for those whose holiday memories are not happy ones. Bring a renewed sense of your love to those most in need this Christmas.

These and all of our prayers we offer at the holy place where hope is born again – the manger within each of us, where Jesus brings the light of hope to all of creation. And now we pray using the words that Jesus taught to his friends…

Amen.

Saturday 23rd

Winter solstice, when the sun seems to stand still in heaven, watching for the Baby to be born.

Luci Shaw, from WinterSong

Father, hear our prayers today

for those who are sick and unable to focus on You at all - those who are dying, those with Alzheimers and other forms of dimensia , and their families and friends.

for those who are caring for sick children this weekend and who are afraid that this may affect their Christmas plans

In Your mercy hear our prayers


Lord, we ask your blessing

for those who are travelling this weekend, whether near or far, may the roads, and seas and skies be calm and safe

for those who are expecting babies over this Christmas time. We especially ask for Your love to touch all new Mothers, to surround those whose delivery is especially difficult, for those whose babies are stillborn or disabled in some way, and those who have miscarried this weekend.

In Your mercy hear our prayer


Spirit we ask for Your presence

for those who do not yet recognise Jesus as Lord and Saviour

and for all of us, who -in our busyness have lost sight of You this season

In Your mercy grant us our requests.

Amen

O Dawn of the East

O Dawn of the East, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of Justice: Come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Prayer for travelers

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—From the Book of Common Prayer

(Posted a little late with apologies and the excuse that I spent most of the day distracted by trying to find a way to get my daughter home from snowy Boston.)

Tuesday Prayer

Lord Jesus, 

Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.  

We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.  

We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. 

We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.  

We whose hearts are heavy seek the the joy of your presence. 

We are your people, walking in darkness, seeking the light.  

To you we say, "Come, Lord Jesus!"

Amen.

Remember Who You Are

You are a powerful, loving, and creative child of God. You are very loved.

Doreen Virtue

Sunday Prayer

Most Gracious and Mysterious God, we lift up our hearts and spirits on this third Sunday in Advent. This is the week of Joy – the celebration of the glorious announcement to Mary that her life would resonate through time and that her ‘yes’ to God would echo for all generations to hear.

God, hear our “yes” today, as we give thanks for the blessings you bring to our lives. Hear our collective “yes” as a faith community ready to share our joy with a world in need of your light and your love.

Holy One, we ask your blessing for all who are troubled or are struggling at this time...for those who are ill or lonely or desperate with poverty or hunger. God, bless all who have difficulty at this time of the year with the heartache of grief and loss.

Bring the joy and peace of your presence to all creation, and may your Spirit hover close wherever there is need of healing, strength or comfort in the coming week.
God of all goodness, be with us as we approach the manger this year. Remind us of the gifts that really matter – compassion, caring and love.

Bless us as we gather up our yearnings for joy, for justice and for peace in our time – and bring them to the place where hope is born. These and all of the prayers of our hearts we offer in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray together saying...

Advent - Saturday 15th Dec

As we move into Advent we are called to listen, something we seldom take time to do in this frentic world of over-activity. But waiting for birth - waiting for death - these are listening times, when the normal distractions of life have lost their power to take us away from God's call to center in Christ.

During Advent we are traditionally called to contemplate death, judgment, hell and heaven. To give birth to a baby is also a kind of death - death to the incredible intimacy of carrying a child, death to old ways of life and birth into new - and it is as strange for the parents as for the baby. Judgment: John of the Cross says that in the evening of our life we shall be judged on love; not on our accomplishments, not on our successes and failures in the worldly sense, but solely on love.

...

Advent is not a time to declare, but to listen, to listen whatever God may want to tell us through the singing of the stars, the quickening of a baby, the gallantry of a dying man.

Listen. Quietly. Humbly. Without arrogance.

(ML'E Winter Song)

Lord, in Your mercy, give us ears to hear.
Lord, in Your mercy, help us slow down - let our heart beat match Yours-
so that we can listen to You
Amen

A Prayer of Invitation

Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Come into our waiting world that needs you so. Come into our waiting home, where you are always welcome. Come into our waiting hearts, and make your dwelling there. And come now to our table, even as you invite us to yours, forever. Even so, come, Lord Jesus Amen.

Back to basics

Jesus as I first knew him

When we were little, my parents were adamant that no Christmas decorations other than the candles in the windows could appear in our house until after we children went to bed on Christmas Eve.

The other exception was the creche. Stable and manger took their place, empty, in the living room on the first Sunday of Advent, and each night until Christmas we were allowed to place a piece of straw in the stable if we could name a good deed we had done that day. (I tried this with my own children and it went well until the year I woke up Christmas morning and couldn't remember where I'd placed the Baby Jesus for safekeeping, but that's a story for another day.)

Today I want to clear away all the grown-up distractions of December and find my way back to that simple, childlike understanding of Advent.

It's about waiting in hope for Jesus. It's about preparing a place while we wait.

Come, Lord Jesus!

A Prayer Based on the Antiphons of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

O WISDOM, God breathed You, He spoke You, You reach from end to end. You bring me forth from my chaos, You order all things mightily and sweetly: thank You for teaching me the way of prudence.

O LORD AND RULER of the all the Houses, the Houses of Israel and Judea, the Houses of all the world, but especially the House for those who cannot find harborage, the House for those who yearn for Home, the House for the homeless -- O Lord and Ruler who appears to me in the flame of the burning stars, in the gentle breath of a baby, in the breaking of the bread: thank you for redeeming me with arms flung open wide.

O ROOT OF JESSE, You spring forth again and again from this brusied reed, You spring forth from the stump of my felled trees, You spring forth in the broken rose cane again and again. Before You I can only keep the silence and before You I shall be waiting in anticipation and supplication: thank you for delivering me.

O KEY OF DAVID, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, You open and no one can shut, You shut and no one can open: thank You for bringing forth this captive from her prison, for bringing light forth from darkness and the shadow of death that always haunts me.

O EMMANUEL, God with us, My King, My Lawgiver, My Saviour, My Lover, My World -- the Word made flesh -- thank You for Your gift of life, thank You for Your gifts of bread and wine, help me to hold the baby close to my heart this Christmas, help me treasure Your Word in my heart and be a witness to Your light. I pray in the name of my Holy Infant, my Holy Child – Amen.

Tuesday Prayer

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies

Text: Philippians 4:8-9 from The Message translation

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbrownell/195148092/in/set-1759692/

Advent Hymn

Comfort, comfort O my people,
Speak of peace, now says your God.
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.
Speak unto Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them;
Tell of all the sins I cover, and that warfare now is over.

O, make straight what once was crooked;
Make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits God's holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord now o'er earth is shed abroad;
And all flesh shall see the token that God's word is never broken.

Sunday Prayer

God of our Advent waiting, bless every searching heart as we make our way toward the celebration of Christmas. Thank you for the blessings of the season – gatherings that bring smiles and embraces – and souls that have found peace in the sense of your presence even amidst the chaos we know as Christmas.

For those who have food, shelter and love in abundance, may there be gratitude and sharing. For those whose struggle in life is too deep for words, may there be unexpected blessings and a sign of hope for the future.

God, we pray for all we have named here today and all we know to have need of your healing presence. We pray especially for those who are grieving at this time of the year, for those who are ill, or any who will be traveling.

We pray for all who are seeking a sense of purpose in this life, that their thirsty souls will be filled with a deep sense of your goodness and grace. God of our Advent searching, be with all who venture into the wilderness of the heart’s tenderness. May we find you wherever we go, and may we have strength to prepare the way for the One who came to show us your Way, Jesus Christ, who taught his friends to pray together saying…

For all mothers - for those who rejoice and those who mourn today

Saturday 8th December

Today I want to bring all mothers before our Lord Jesus.

My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning
More than those who watch for the morning

Lord, you have always given
Bread for the coming day
And though I am poor,
Today I believe

Lord, you have always given
Strength for the coming day
And though I am weak,
Today I believe

Lord, you have always given
Peace for the coming day
And though I am of anxious heart,
Today I believe

Lord, you have always given
Me safe in trials
And now tried as I am ,
Today I believe

Lord, you have always marked
The road for the coming day
And though it may be hidden,
Today I believe

Lord, you have always lightened
This darkness of mine
And though the night is here,
Today I believe

Lord, you have always spoken
When the time is ripe
And though You be silent now,
Today I believe
(Celtic Daily Office)

Let us pray for
:Sally's friend whose 6 year old daughter died,
:Cathy's friend who is also struggling with motherhood,
:my best friend whose 7 year old daughter died a while ago, but for whom Christmas is still a struggle,
:for another friend whose daughter was born still born quite recently,
:and for all mothers who are in similar situations.

Let us pray
:for those who are mothers-to-be, who like Mary , are carrying a precious cargo in their wombs right now;
:for those who know their child will be disabled in someway,
:for those who fear it,
:and those whose baby is fine, but who are still fearful about the birth.

We ask for especial blessings
:for the four ladies here for whom we will hold a surprise American-style Baby Shower /Baby Blessingway. May all we do this afternoon be a blessing - and may this be a day that they long remember.

: for RM whose BB arrived safely recently,

: and all those who are celebrating in similar situations.

Jesus, You love to bless the little children, hold each in Your arms and surround them with Your healing Presence, let them know Your love and grace, let them grow up to be more and more like You, full of compassion.

My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning
More than those who watch for the morning
Amen

An Advent Kitchen Prayer

What joy this brings me, Lord. Thank you for guiding me into the kitchen for some time of silence with you. The room fills with wonderful smells and I share tastes and samples with my family as they make extra trips through the kitchen on days like this. Thank you for each and every one of these special people in my family. They are like the ingredients of my own life, adding spice and heat and wonderful flavor and melding together into a unique dish designed to glorify you.
You know, God, cooking is quite a bit like my life. It's messy, I get careless and sometimes things don't turn out as I had planned. But in the mess of my life, that's where I can turn to you. Help me when I have to deal with being so imperfect. Bless me with humility when I grapple with my own poverty. Let me feel how deeply you love me, even when all I have to offer is scorched and humble.

Be with me Lord, in this kitchen today. Help me to take the time in this intimate silence with you, to pray for each person who will eat this food. Allow me to remember all of those around the world who have so little food, and bless those who share what little they have.

-- from Creighton Online Ministries

The Justice Prayer

Come, O Holy Spirit!
Come, open us to the wonder, beauty, and dignity of the diversity found in each culture,
in each face, and in each experience we have of the other among us.
Come, fill us with generosity
as we are challenged to let go and allow others to share with us
the goods and beauty of earth.
Come, heal the divisions
that keep us from seeing the face of Christ in all men, women, and children.
Come, free us to stand with and for those
who must leave their own lands in order to find work, security, and welcome in a new land,
one that has enough to share.
Come, bring us understanding, inspiration, wisdom, and
the courage needed to embrace change and stay on the journey.
Come, O Holy Spirit,
show us the way.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops • Justice for Immigrants Campaign
202-541-3352 · www.justiceforimmigrants.org

Tuesday Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

At any Hour and Moment

Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see....

Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery, she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ's coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share his power if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ.

The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with with him the riches of his grace.

St. Carlo Borromeo, from a pastoral letter

(Liturgy of the Hours, volume 1, pp. 152-153)

Sunday Prayer

God, I have so much to be thankful for tonight. For good food shared with friends at LCotC as we prepared the sanctuary for the Advent season. Tonight as storms approach many parts of North America, I pray for safety on our roads and highways. And on this World AIDS Day, I pray for a cure for this horrible disease, and a vaccine so that future generations can be protected.

Loving and Gracious God, in this first week of Advent, help me to slow down. All around me, the world is caught in the traditional vortex of pre-Christmas frenzy. The baking marathons, the over-spending on gifts that never seem to be enough, the parties and visiting that bring both joy and exhaustion...sometimes it overwhelms even the heartiest celebrants of the holiday season.

God, I really want this year to be different. I want to set my sights on the light in the distance – a light that guides us toward Bethlehem and the birth of Christ. That light is gift enough. As the weeks of Advent progress and the church joins in the busy-ness of the season, help to keep us all focused on the greatest gift of all – the One who was born to show us the way of hope, love, peace and joy. The One who taught us to pray together saying…

Sunday Prayer

God, I have so much to be thankful for tonight. For good food shared with friends at LCotC as we prepared the sanctuary for the Advent season. Tonight as storms approach many parts of North America, I pray for safety on our roads and highways. And on this World AIDS Day, I pray for a cure for this horrible disease, and a vaccine so that future generations can be protected.

Loving and Gracious God, in this first week of Advent, help me to slow down. All around me, the world is caught in the traditional vortex of pre-Christmas frenzy. The baking marathons, the over-spending on gifts that never seem to be enough, the parties and visiting that bring both joy and exhaustion...sometimes it overwhelms even the heartiest celebrants of the holiday season.

God, I really want this year to be different. I want to set my sights on the light in the distance – a light that guides us toward Bethlehem and the birth of Christ. That light is gift enough. As the weeks of Advent progress and the church joins in the busy-ness of the season, help to keep us all focused on the greatest gift of all – the One who was born to show us the way of hope, love, peace and joy. The One who taught us to pray together saying…