Lord Jesus Christ,
Thou Son of the Most High, Prince of
Peace, be born into our world. Wherever
there is war in this world, wherever there is pain, wherever there is
loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expected one, with
healing in thy wings.
Holy Child, whom the shepherds and the
kings and the dumb beasts adored, be born again. Wherever there is boredom, wherever there is
fear of failure, wherever there is temptation too strong to resist, wherever
there is bitterness of heart, come, thou blessed one, with healing in thy
wings.
Saviour, be born in each of us who raises
his face to thy face, not knowing fully who he is or who thou art, knowing only
that thy love is beyond his knowing and that no other has the power to make him
whole. Come, Lord Jesus, to each who
longs for thee even though he has forgotten thy name. Come quickly.
Amen. (The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner)
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
Journal: How will you make time and space to treasure and ponder the mystery of God with us?
Reflection: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
It is amazing to me, after all of the gifts are opened and all of the food is eaten and all of the visitors have departed, how quickly we can leave it all behind and shift right back into our normal modes of operation. Christmas has come and gone, and we are already off to the next thing.
I guess that's why the church fathers and mothers realized that we needed more time and space to consider the mystery and the truth and the significance of what really happened. Thus, Christmastide was born; that period of time following Christmas Day in which we are invited to make time and space for reflection and silence and prayer. It is a time when we pull up a chair (or a bale of hay) to the manger and join the Holy Family as we all welcome, in wonder and amazement, God into our very midst. It is a time when we join Mary as she takes it all in and treasures all of these things up in her heart. It is a time to sit and savor and enjoy and ponder and celebrate the coming of the Light into this dark world. It is a time when we welcome the newborn King into his kingdom.
So do not rush off quite yet. Do not jump back into your busy schedules and many obligations, but take some time to just linger around the stable. Sit beside the manger. Hear the angels voices. Watch as shepherds and wise men and old priests offer gifts and prayers and prophesies to the One for whom they have long waited and watched and yearned. Adore the One who has come among us, the One whose heart would not allow him to stay far away, but wanted forever to be know as God with us--Emmanuel. And finally, let us pay careful attention to how God has been born anew within us and among us, to treasure it up, to ponder it in our hearts, and bask in his glory.
Prayer
Closing Prayer: The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will. Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. Amen. ~Robert Louis Stevenson
Reflection: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
It is amazing to me, after all of the gifts are opened and all of the food is eaten and all of the visitors have departed, how quickly we can leave it all behind and shift right back into our normal modes of operation. Christmas has come and gone, and we are already off to the next thing.
I guess that's why the church fathers and mothers realized that we needed more time and space to consider the mystery and the truth and the significance of what really happened. Thus, Christmastide was born; that period of time following Christmas Day in which we are invited to make time and space for reflection and silence and prayer. It is a time when we pull up a chair (or a bale of hay) to the manger and join the Holy Family as we all welcome, in wonder and amazement, God into our very midst. It is a time when we join Mary as she takes it all in and treasures all of these things up in her heart. It is a time to sit and savor and enjoy and ponder and celebrate the coming of the Light into this dark world. It is a time when we welcome the newborn King into his kingdom.
So do not rush off quite yet. Do not jump back into your busy schedules and many obligations, but take some time to just linger around the stable. Sit beside the manger. Hear the angels voices. Watch as shepherds and wise men and old priests offer gifts and prayers and prophesies to the One for whom they have long waited and watched and yearned. Adore the One who has come among us, the One whose heart would not allow him to stay far away, but wanted forever to be know as God with us--Emmanuel. And finally, let us pay careful attention to how God has been born anew within us and among us, to treasure it up, to ponder it in our hearts, and bask in his glory.
Prayer
Closing Prayer: The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will. Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. Amen. ~Robert Louis Stevenson
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