Christmas

25 December

Christmas Night

Principal Feast

Gold or White

Collect

Eternal God,

who made this most holy night

to shine with the brightness of thy one true light:

bring us, who have known the revelation of that light on earth,

to see the radiance of thy heavenly glory;

through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,

who liveth and reigneth with thee,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

God our Father,

who in this night hast made known to us again

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

confirm our faith and fix our eyes on him

until the dawning of the day

when Christ the Morning Star shall rise in our hearts;

to whom be glory both now and for ever.

Christmas Day

25 December

Principal Feast

Gold or White

Collect

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 Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,

who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit,

now and for ever.

Post Communion

O God our Father,

whose Word hath come among us

in the Holy Child of Bethlehem:

grant that the light of faith may illumine our hearts and shine in all our words and deeds;

through him who is Christ the Lord.

The First Sunday of Christmas

White

When the Festival of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, falling on a Sunday, is transferred to Monday 2 January, the Sunday is kept as the Second Sunday of Christmas but this provision is used.

This provision is not used on weekdays after 5 January.

Collect

Almighty God,

who hast wonderfully created us in thine own image

and hast yet more wonderfully restored us

through thy Son Jesus Christ:

grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,

so we may share the life of his divinity;

who liveth and reigneth with thee,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Heavenly Father,

whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home:

grant to thy Church grace to live as one family,

united in love and obedience,

and at the last bring us all to our home in heaven;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Second Sunday of Christmas

White

When the Festival of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, falling on a Sunday, is transferred to Monday 2 January, the Sunday is kept as the Second Sunday of Christmas but the provision for the First Sunday of Christmas is used.

This provision is not used on weekdays after 5 January.

Collect

Almighty God,

who in the birth of thy Son

hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word

and revealed to us the fullness of thy love:

help us so to walk in his light and dwell in his love

that we may know the fullness of his joy;

who liveth and reigneth with thee,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

All praise to thee,

almighty God and heavenly king,

who hast sent thy Son into the world

to take our nature upon him

and to be born of a pure virgin:

grant that, as we are born again in him,

so he may continually dwell in us

and reign on earth as he reigneth in heaven,

now and for ever.