Christmas Prayer

The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us (John 1: 14)

Many of us have seen movies of people who were lost, completely lost – cut off from the rest of humanity and in a critically desperate state of survival.  One such image that immediately cones to mind is the movie The Titanic.  In this movie after the ship wreck, the survivors were lift clinging to what ever they could, in fringed waters, in what seemed to be hopeless. 

There is also the story of the women who were rescued in May this year (2013) in Cleveland, where they were held captive for a number of years.  Their relatives must have thought they were dead and probably never thought they would ever see them alive again.

Then there is the desperation of the people of the Philippines after they were hit by that massive storm earlier this year.  It was too heart breaking for most of us to bare.  But in spite of their desperate circumstances, many of the survivors are filled with great hope that they have not been abandoned.

‘What does all of this have to do with Christmas,’ you may ask.  Well God assures us in Isaiah 49: 15, “I will never forget you my people.”  Just as Christ is the enactment of that promise, so to is the presence of God breaking through in all these and other similar circumstances. 

When God created us, it was to be one with us; that was and always is the longing of His heart.  When sin entered the world, it created a huge void between God and us, His Beloved.  Throughout the Bible, it is recorded that God sought constantly to reconcile us to Himself.  Even though He is the Sinless One and we are the sinners; even though we were the transgressors and He was and is the one transgressed upon, He has in the past, and continues to be the one who is always offering an ‘olive branch’; the one who is always offering to be reconcile.

Sisters, brothers, we will never in this life, be able to fully understand the Love of God, for it goes far beyond our human existence, and is far beyond our experience of love.  Christmas is therefore a time when we remember and we celebrate the infinite Love of our God who never abandoned us to the decadence of our sin; we celebrate the great love and mercy of Our Loving Father who never leaves us nor forsakes us.  It is a time when we celebrate This Love that became flesh and dwelt amongst us.  It is a time when we remember and we celebrate the Word becoming flesh, GOD becoming man with a particular mission – to rescue us – His Beloved – from the darkness of our sins.  The Virgin will give birth to a Son and He will be called Jesus, because He is the one who is to save His people from their sins (Matthew  1: 21).

Christmas Prayer

So Lord, we praise you and we thank you; we adore you, we glorify you.  Lord we give you thanks beyond our human expression for your infinite love that we celebrate this Christmas. You O Lord were true to your word when you assure us, “I will never forget you my people”; and again “I have inscribed you in the palm of my hands.”  We thank you O Lord that you have looked beyond our wretchedness and saw all that we were meant to be – your sons and your daughters and heirs to eternal life.

Lord turn us into a people of great hope, that no matter what our circumstance, we will place all our hope and our trust in you.

At the birth of your Son into the world, there was together with the angel, a great throng of heavenly hosts, praising God and singing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to all who enjoy His favour.”  Lord may there be cause for the heavenly hosts to rejoice again and again at our opening the inn of our hearts to you so that you and you alone will reign in us.

A people in darkness have seen a great light! Lord, so fill us with great hope in you that we become light to all nations so that all may come to know the salvation of you our God. We ask all this through Christ our Lord.  AMEN!!

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of them who bring good news.  Mother Mary, you were the bearer of the Best News ever! Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through your powerful intercession, help us, teach us to be bearers of the Good News in our world, through our lives, as we pray:

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blest is the Fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. AMEN