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 your one true light:

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

to see the radiance of your heavenly glory;

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.

(or)

Eternal God,

in the stillness of this night

you sent your almighty Word

to pierce the world’s darkness with the light of salvation:

give to the earth the peace that we long for

and fill our hearts with the joy of heaven

through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Post Communion

God our Father,

in this night you have made known to us again

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

confirm our faith and fix our eyes on him

until the day dawns

and Christ the Morning Star rises in our hearts.

To him be glory both now and for ever.

25 December
Christmas Day
Principal Feast
Gold or White
Collect

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.

(or) **

Lord Jesus Christ,

your birth at Bethlehem

draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth:

accept our heartfelt praise

as we worship you,

our Saviour and our eternal God.

Post Communion

God our Father,

whose Word has come among us

in the Holy Child of Bethlehem:

may the light of faith illumine our hearts

and shine in our words and deeds;

through him who is Christ the Lord.

The First Sunday of Christmas
White

This provision is not used on weekdays after 5 January.

Collect

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.

(or)

God in Trinity,

eternal unity of perfect love:

gather the nations to be one family,

and draw us into your holy life

through the birth of Emmanuel,

our Lord Jesus Christ.

Post Communion

Heavenly Father,

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

help your Church to live as one family,

united in love and obedience,

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

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Second Sunday of Christmas
White

This provision is not used on weekdays after 5 January.

Collect

Almighty God,

in the birth of your Son

you have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word,

and shown us the fullness of your love:

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

that we may know the fullness of his joy;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

(or)

God our Father,

in love you sent your Son

that the world may have life:

lead us to seek him among the outcast

and to find him in those in need,

for Jesus Christ’s sake.

Post Communion

All praise to you,

almighty God and heavenly king,

who sent your 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 reigns in heaven,

now and for ever.

Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000 and published by Church House Publishing.

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