PRAYERS AROUND THE WORLD

FOR THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

SUNDAY 20th December

A Christian prayer

• Almighty and everlasting God,
• Who stooped to raise fallen humanity
• Through the child-bearing of blessed Mary;
• Grant that we, who have seen your glory
• revealed in our human nature,
• may follow the way of your Son Jesus Christ.

(Collect of the Blessed Virgin Mary, altd.)

MONDAY 21st

A Hindu scripture

Although I am unborn, the Lord of all living entities, and have an imperishable nature, yet I appear in this world by virtue of my divine power. Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an increase in unrighteousness,  at that time I manifest myself on earth. To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of virtue  (dharma), I appear on this earth, age after age.

(Bhagavad Gita 4.6-8)

TUESDAY 22nd

Buddhist wisdom

“All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness for others.  All the misery the world contains has come through wanting pleasure for oneself.” 

(Śāntideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva)

WEDNESDAY 23rd

A Jewish hope

For a child has been born for us,  a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 9.6)

THURSDAY 24th

A Muslim witness

And mention in the Book Maryam, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.  Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.  She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, if you should be fearing of Allah.”  He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you a pure boy.” She said,”How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?” He said, “Thus your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter decreed.’ ” 

(The Qu’ran, Surah Maryam, 19:16-21)

CHRISTMAS DAY 25th

The meaning of Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… In him was life, and the life was the light of all people…  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.

(John 1.1, 4, 14)