On this night we remember the Birth
The anxiety of waiting
the pain of labor
the naked exertion of delivery
And we pray for all babies born this night whether they come into comfort and joy or fear and despair
Lord in your mercy...
On this night we remember Joseph and Mary
Their poverty and vulnerability
their strength and their uncertainty
their joy and the exhaustion
And we pray for parents in the complexity of their relationships and in the demands of child-rearing
Lord in your mercy...
On this night we remember the shepherds
In their wonder and in their puzzlement
in the spontaneity of their coming
And we pray for all those who are out in the cold, draw them into the warmth of human fellowship and the joy of the Christ-Mass
Lord in your mercy...
On this night we remember Jesus
His birth in an obscure town and a cold shed
his teaching of love and joy and the challenge of faith
his cruel death and his life undying
And we pray for ourselves in a moment of silence, that we might penetrate deeper, truer, more honestly into his mysterious coming
Silence
Lord in your mercy...
So for all in happy expectation
for all in dread and loathing
for all in warmth and cozy happiness
for all in cold and friendless solitude
We pray the blessing of the Christ Child
Lord in your mercy...