Collect, Readings and Prayers
Collect for Christmas Day
Almighty God,
you have given us your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him
and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin:
grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Isaiah 52: 7 - 10
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
8 Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Hebrews 1:1-4
God Has Spoken by His Son
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
John 1:1-14
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Collect for the First Sunday of Christmas
Almighty God,
who wonderfully created us in your own image
and yet more wonderfully restored us
through your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,
so we may share the life of his divinity;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Isaiah 63:7-9
God’s Mercy Remembered
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us,
and the great favour to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, ‘Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely’;
and he became their saviour
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed
Hebrews 2:10-18
10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying,
‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’
13 And again,
‘I will put my trust in him.’
And again,
‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me.’
14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Matthew 2:13-23
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ 14 Then Joseph[a] got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’
The Massacre of the Infants
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,[b] he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.[c] 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’
The Return from Egypt
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’ 21 Then Joseph[d] got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’
Prayers
In the birth of His Son, Jesus, God came to dwell with us, His people. This Christmas, as He comes to meet us, let us respond to Him in prayer.
- Infinite God, we have struggled to make our mark on this world
We confess that this has often led to trampling on others
Rushing for seats on a bus or train, pushing in front, criticising others and complaining and judgemental: me first. Infant God teach us about the great reversal; lead us into selflessness. Instead of always straining for success, help us to live a different way in the simple things; courtesy, honesty, humility, acceptance and forgiveness. Come to us Lord and hear our prayer.
- In a season where money and material things often seem to dominate, help us to discover real treasure in the people we love, the things we already have and in Jesus, God’s gift to each one of us. Come to us Lord and hear our prayer.
- Joseph and Mary went up from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem. Over this season of Christmas, may our journeys lead us safely to places of friendship and welcome and may we truly welcome all those whose journeys bring them to our door. Come to us Lord and hear our prayer.
- There was no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn. In this season of hospitality and welcome, may we remember that not everyone has a place to keep warm and to be fed. Help us to act generously and lovingly to those who have no home, now and throughout the year. Help us to be conscious of those who are alone at this festive season, and of the frail and the sick and do all that we can to help them And we hold before you those known to us in particular need of our prayers this night. Come to them as to us Lord and hear our prayer.
- In this season of peace, we celebrate those people who seek to bring peace to your people on earth. And yet we constantly stand on the vulnerable edge of violence and conflict in many parts of the world. We pray for the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia that they may result in an end to the fighting and a just settlement. We pray for the people of Gaza for the rebuilding of their homeland and a permanent peace to be established there and for thos embroiled in deadly conflict elsewhere including Sudan. May the child in the manger be a reminder of another way to resolve differences which does not involve fighting, bloodshed, cruelty and exploitation, which points to a greater light, which unites all races. Come to us Lord and hear our prayer.
- The angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone around them. We give thanks that Jesus has come into the world as a light in the darkness. We come to you afresh this Christmas, longing for a new start and another chance. May our celebrations this Christmas, fill us with renewed hope to sustain us in the coming year. Help us to carry the light of Jesus to others in our community and on our journey through life. Come to us Lord and hear our prayer.