Essential Christmas Prayers

By Paraclete Press

This beautiful collection of inspiring holiday prayers will bring back heartwarming memories and open new understanding of the sacred season. Many of us feel a little closer to our faith during the Christmas season—even those without a regular faith practice. Around us, people are talking about peace on Earth and goodwill towards all, while deeply rooted Christmas rituals and traditions and familiar prayers speak to our hearts—a refreshing respite in this age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paraclete Press
• Release date: Oct 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781640600423

Book preview

Essential

Christmas

Prayers

PARACLETE PRESS

PARACLETE PRESS

BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS

2017 First Printing

Essential Christmas Prayers

Copyright © 2017 by Paraclete Press, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-61261-969-9

Scripture references marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version, in the public domain.

All quotations from the Daily Office Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer as adopted by the General Convention of 1928 and amended by subsequent Conventions.

Pope John XXIII’s Prayer "O Sweet Child of Bethlehem", copyright © LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA

The Paraclete Press name and logo (dove on cross) are trademarks of Paraclete Press, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Paraclete Press.

Title: Essential Christmas prayers.

Description: Brewster, Massachusetts : Paraclete Press Inc., 2017.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017028329 | ISBN 9781612619699 (trade paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Christmas—Prayers and devotions. | Carols, English.

Classification: LCC BV45 .E87 2017 | DDC 242/.335—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017028329

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by Paraclete Press

Brewster, Massachusetts

www.paracletepress.com

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Introduction

Christmas Prayer from Space

Bidding Prayer for Christmastide

Moonless Darkness BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

Love Came Down at Christmas BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

Excerpt from a Children’s Carol BY MARTIN LUTHER

A Christmas Prayer for the Home BY HENRY VAN DYKE

A Christmas Prayer for the Lonely Folks BY HENRY VAN DYKE

Loving Mother of the Redeemer

A Little Child of Love BY EDWARD BOUVERIE PUSEY

Prayers for Lighting of the Weekly Candles in Advent

First Sunday of Advent

Second Sunday of Advent

Third Sunday of Advent

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Other Prayers for Advent

The O Antiphons and O come, O come, Emmanuel

O Sapientia

O Adonai

O Radix Jesse

O Clavis David

O Oriens

O Rex Gentium

O Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel—THE FAMILIAR VERSION

O come, O come, Emmanuel—ANOTHER VERSION

Other Advent Prayers in Song

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Come, Thou Redeemer of the Earth

Christmas Prayers from the Saints

St. Andrew the Apostle (B. EARLY 1ST CENTURY AD)

St. Ephraim the Syrian (AD 306–373)

St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–440)

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (AD 1090–1153)

Pope St. John XXIII (AD 1881–1963)

Pope St. John Paul II