Lord, as we prepare for the coming celebrations by cleaning, tidying up, and getting organized for company, family and friends, and parties of all kinds, I pray that you would make us mindful of the need to do the same thing in our hearts, our minds, and our lives. We need to prepare ourselves to be ready to welcome you into our humble houses and we wait with eager anticipation for you to be born again in us.

As we give and receive gifts this year, turn our minds to the gifts that you received and their meaning and, more importantly, to rejoice and be glad for all the gifts that you give us in return.

As we celebrate and gather together in our warm houses with good food and nice clothes, let us take a moment to remember those who are left out in the cold, those who do not have such luxuries and move our hearts to be grateful and show them some love and mercy.

And, when Christmas is over, ordinary life is moving forward once more and we forget the promises we made, remind us that Christmas is about Emmanuel. Christmas reminds us that God is with us. Not just for one day a year, not for a month or a season, but every day and every night. God is with us in the morning and the evening, in our waking and our sleeping. God is present. The communion (the Eucharist) is His gift to us. It is his very essence. He feeds us and sustains us as we walk this way of faith.

God, sometimes we need a little gift. Sometimes our spirits need a little lift. In these moments Lord, help us reach out to you with open hands and give up our burdens and receive your abundant gifts you desire to give us. And Lord, may we never be envious or desirous of someone else's gifts. You bless us all as we need. Your gifts are perfect Lord. Grant us the grace to be satisfied with You, satisfied with what we have been given, satisfied enough on earth and grant that we, may one day be, supremely satisfied within the halls of Heaven. Amen