Christmas Novena

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, we beseech thee, grant unto thy people grace that they may wait with vigilance for the advent of thy Son our Lord, that when he shall arise from thy right hand to visit the earth in righteousness and thy people with salvation, he may not find us sleeping in sin, but diligent in thy service and rejoicing in thy praises, that so we may enter in with him unto the marriage of the Lamb; through his merits, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Our Father, we give thee thanks to-day for the mighty yearning of the human heart for the coming of the Saviour, and for the constant promise of thy Word that he was to come. We know that our own souls are in darkness and sin without faith in him who comes to bring God to man and man to God. We bless thee that our hearts can so answer from their wilderness the cry, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." In us may the rough places be made smooth and the crooked straight, the mountains of pride brought low, and the valleys of despondency lifted up. O our Father, prepare thou the way in us now, and may we be ready to welcome anew thy Holy Child, our Saviour from sin. Amen.

Lord, our God, in reverence and adoration we stand before thy fathomless and inexpressible love. Thou art not enthroned worlds distant in the heaven; thou dwellest in us and around us. Thou hast come in thy Son, into the world, to seek the lost, to make joyful the sad, to make rich the poor, make strong the weak, make blessed the sinner. Oh, help us above all to be able to understand aright thy kindness, to receive willingly thy grace, to open ourselves heartily to thy love.

Let this Christmas mark truly a bringing of grace for each house, for each person, young and old, for poor and rich, for high and low, but primarily for the lowly and the abandoned, the tired and the despondent, the bowed down and the worried! Let us deeply experience the holy Christ festival of this year; let it be to us a blessing now and for all time!

Lord God, eternal Father, appear for us in Jesus Christ. Amen.