Christmas Day Prayer

Loving Father;
Help us to remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share
in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and
open the door 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
which Christ brings, and
teach us to be merry
with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning
make us happy to be children,
and Christmas evening bring us
to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven for Jesus' sake.

~Robert Louis Stevenson
(1850-1894)