Heavenly Father,
as we live these days of gratitude and grace,
celebrating the birth of your son,
guide our hearts that we may mark this season as a time of joy
and also a time of remembrance.
Help us always to remember those who are often forgotten
in the days after Christmas:
the poor, who are still with us,
the sick, who may not have family or friends to visit them,
the lonely and brokenhearted, who are often left out,
the men, women and children living in the cold.
Help us to find ways to uplift them, console them, love them
and share your love with those in need.
When the music stops playing
and the carolers stop singing
and the world returns to what it was before,
may we continue to shine forth your light
and sing of your glory,
reminding all we meet of your greatest gift to our weary world:
your son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
— From A Deacon Prays
