Christmas Prayers

Prayers and Collects for the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas)

What is Christmas?

Christmas, also known as the Feast of the Nativity, literally means "Christ Mass." The feast celebrates Jesus' birth and the Incarnation of the Son of God on December 25. These Christmas Prayers relate to these themes. More Info: All About Christmas

Catholic Christmas Collect, Midnight Mass

Father
You make this holy night radiant
with the splendor of Jesus Christ our light
We welcome Him as Lord, true light of the world.
Bring us to eternal joy in the kingdom of heaven
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, for ever and ever.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

Alternate Catholic Christmas Collect, Midnight Mass

Lord Our God
With the birth of Your Son,
your glory breaks on the world.
Through the night hours of the darkened earth
we your people watch for the coming of Your promised Son.
As we wait, give us a foretaste of the joy that
You will grant us
when the fullness of His glory has filled the earth,
who lives and reigns with you for ever and ever.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

Alternate Catholic Christmas Day Collect

God of love, Father of all,
the darkness that covered the earth
has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh.
Make us a people of this light.
Make us faithful to your Word
that we may bring your life to the waiting world.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

Catholic Christmas Collect, Dawn Mass

Father
we are filled with the new light
by the coming of Your Word among us.
May the light of faith
shine in our words and actions.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

Alternate Catholic Christmas Collect, Dawn Mass

Almighty God and Father of light,
a child is born to us an 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.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

Nativity Prayer-Hymn of St. Ephraim the Syrian

The feast day of your birth resembles You, Lord
Because it brings joy to all humanity.
Old people and infants alike enjoy your day.
Your day is celebrated
from generation to generation.
Kings and emperors may pass away,
And the festivals to commemorate them soon lapse.
But your festival
will be remembered until the end of time.
Your day is a means and a pledge of peace.
At Your birth heaven and earth were reconciled,
Since you came from heaven to earth on that day
You forgave our sins and wiped away our guilt.
You gave us so many gifts on the day of your birth:
A treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick;
Spiritual light for the blind;
The cup of salvation for the thirsty;
The bread of life for the hungry.
In the winter when trees are bare,
You give us the most succulent spiritual fruit.
In the frost when the earth is barren,
You bring new hope to our souls.
In December when seeds are hidden in the soil,
The staff of life springs forth from the virgin womb
St. Ephraim the Syrian (AD 306-373)

Collect for the Vigil of the Nativity Mass

God our Father
every year we rejoice
as we look forward to the feast of our salvation.
May we welcome Christ as our Redeemer,
and meet him with confidence when He comes to be our judge,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.
St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)

Nativity Prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Let Your goodness Lord appear to us, that we
made in your image, conform ourselves to it.
In our own strength
we cannot imitate Your majesty, power, and wonder
nor is it fitting for us to try.
But Your mercy reaches from the heavens
through the clouds to the earth below.
You have come to us as a small child,
but you have brought us the greatest of all gifts,
the gift of eternal love
Caress us with Your tiny hands,
embrace us with Your tiny arms
and pierce our hearts with Your soft, sweet cries.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

Christmas Prayer of Pope John XXIII

O sweet Child of Bethlehem,
grant that we may share with all our hearts
in this profound mystery of Christmas.
Put into the hearts of men and women this peace
for which they sometimes seek so desperately
and which you alone can give to them.
Help them to know one another better,
and to live as brothers and sisters,
children of the same Father.
Reveal to them also your beauty, holiness and purity.
Awaken in their hearts
love and gratitude for your infinite goodness.
Join them all together in your love.
And give us your heavenly peace. Amen.
Pope John XXIII

Christmas Prayer for Humility

Eternal Word,
you became flesh
and dwelt among us,
because of your great love for mankind.
Though you were God,
you humbled yourself
out of love for your creation,
being born in a lowly dwelling,
to a meek and chaste Virgin.
Give us your grace,
to practice humility,
following your example,
and the example
of your servant and Mother,
the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen
David Bennett

Christ, Redeemer of All

Jesu, the Father's only Son,
whose death for all redemption won,
before the worlds, of God most high,
begotten all ineffably.

The Father's Light and Splendor Thou
their endless Hope to Thee that bow:
accept the prayers and praise today
that through the world Thy servants pay.

Salvation's author, call to mind
how, taking the form of humankind,
born of a Virgin undefiled,
Thou in man's flesh becamest a Child.

Thus testifies the present day
Through every year in long array,
that Thou, salvation's source alone
proceedest from the Father's Throne.

Whence sky, and stars, and sea's abyss,
and earth, and all that therein is,
shall still, with laud and carol meet,
the Author of thine Advent greet.

And we who, by Thy precious Blood
from sin redeemed, are marked for God,
on this, the day that saw Thy Birth,
sing the new song of ransomed earth.

All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee;
whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Ghost forevermore. Amen.
6th Century Hymn; tr: John Mason Neale

Nativity Prayer from The Orthodox Liturgy

Your nativity, O Christ our God,
has shed the light of knowledge upon the world.
Through it,
those who had been star-worshipers
learned through a star to worship you,
O Sun of Justice,
and to recognize in you the one who rises
and who comes from on high.
O Lord, glory to you!
Feast of the Nativity Liturgy

Anglican Nativity Collect

O God, who hast caused this holy night to shine
with the illumination of the true Light:
Grant us, we beseech thee,
that as we have known the mystery of that Light upon earth,
so may we also perfectly enjoy him in heaven;
where with thee and the Holy Spirit
he liveth and reigneth, one God,
in glory everlasting. Amen
1979 Book of Common Prayer

Sarum Rite Dawn Christmas Mass Prayer

Almighty God,
who has poured upon us the new light of your Incarnate Word;
grant that the same light enkindled in our hearts
may shine forth in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Evening Prayer II: Christmas Day

Lord God
we praise you for creating man,
and still more for restoring him in Christ.
Your Son shared our weakness:
may we share his glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God
for ever and ever. Amen.
Liturgy of the Hours