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 Christmas - the
Festival of the Incarnation: God coming to earth in the form of a
child.
A child born in a stable in
Palestine, but celebrated across the world...
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Christmas
Prayer
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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 the 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 Thy children,
and the Christmas evening bring us to
our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.
AMEN!
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Prayers
at
the
crib
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 may we share the life of his
divinity;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God now and forever.
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May the
J O Y
of the Angels,
the
EAGERNESS
of the
Shepherds,
the
PERSEVERANCE
of the Wise
Men,
the
OBEDIENCE
of Joseph and
Mary,
and the
P E A C E
of the
Christ-child
be yours this
Christmas...
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rehearsal of the Crib
Service held on Christmas Eve 2008
Shepherds, angels,
kings
and Father Christmas, children and elves
all worshipping the Christ Child
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Amos Trust Crib, showing the Magi
unable to reach the stable with the Holy Family as they are separated
by a 9m wall.
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 the eagerness of the shepherds...
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 Epiphany
- a
time when we remember the three Kings who brought their gifts of gold
frankincense and myrrh.
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Galette
des Rois
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 In France, the patissiers' shelves are
piled up with Galettes des Rois which are traditionally eaten on 6th
January to celebrate the coming of the three kings. The galettes are made of puff pastry with a
frangipane filling and are eaten hot. Hidden inside is a little
china figurine or fève and whoever finds the fève in their slice is King or Queen for the
evening. [Recipe...]
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Epiphany
Prayers
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Almighty and everlasting God,
You have revealed the incarnation of your Son
by the bright shining of a star,
which led the wise men to offer costly gifts in adoration.
Let the star of your justice give light to our hearts,
that we may give as our treasure
all that we possess and all that we are;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen.
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Lord Jesus, our Master,
go with us while we travel
to the heavenly country;
that, following your star,
we may not wander
in the darkness
of this world’s night,
while you, who are our Way
and Truth, and Life,
shine within us
to our journey’s end;
for your mercy’s sake.
Amen.
(Mozarabic)
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