Celebrating Christmas Home | Creighton University's Online Ministries

Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church - January 2
Daily Prayer  

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who were pleased to give light to your Church
by the example and teaching
of the Bishops Saints Basil and Gregory,
grant, we pray,
that in humility we may learn your truth
and practice it faithfully in charity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 205

Daily Meditation:
And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming. 1 John 2

John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” John 1

Jesus baptizes us the the Holy Spirit. All that has prepared us for his coming
gives witness to his presence with us now.

May we remain in the one who has come to be with us.
May we place our trust in the one who promises us life.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us joyfully invoke the Son of God, our Redeemer,
who became man in order to restore man:
Be with us, Emmanuel.

Jesus, Son of the living God, King of glory, and Son of the Virgin Mary,
- brighten this day with the glory of your incarnation.

Jesus, Wonder-Counselor, Mighty-God, Father of the future, Prince of peace,
- direct our lives according to the holiness of your human nature.

Jesus, all-powerful, patient, obedient, meek and humble of heart,
- show the power of your gentleness to all.

Jesus, Father of the poor, immeasurable goodness, our way and our life,
- grant your Church the spirit of poverty.

Closing Prayer:
I beg you, Lord, give me the sight I need
so that I can see you in those around me
and welcome you into my heart
with the joy of celebration.

If only my eyes could be opened!
Give me the wisdom and internal vision to see
and I will recognize you as my savior
not only in my heart today
but in my life every day.

I ask that you help me to open my heart more fully
to your own dizzying love for me.
Help me to be grateful for your incredible gifts to me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

.  Celebrating Christmas Home | Creighton University's Online Ministries

Christmas Weekday - January 3
Daily Prayer

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, whose Only Begotten Son
has appeared in our very flesh
grant, we pray, that we may be inwardly transformed
through him whom we recognize as outwardly like ourselves.
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. *

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 206

Daily Meditation:
In this is love: not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1 John 4

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings;
That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, ...
That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72

His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things. ...
They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 6

Jesus is full of compassion for us in his unconditional love for us.
Even when it seems impossible, he still shows us the way
and nourishes us with his love.

May we be grateful for his love for us these days.
May we be like him in our love for one another.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us rejoice in the compassion of Christ,
who came to free mankind from the slavery of corruption and
to give us the freedom of the sons of God.
Trusting in this divine compassion, we plead:
By your birth, deliver us from evil.

Lord, you existed before the ages, yet you entered into a new life,
- renew us continually through the mystery of your birth.

Without surrendering your divinity, you wondrously took on our humanity,
- grant that our lives may press on to a fuller participation in your divinity.

You came to be a light to the nations, the teacher of holiness,
- let your words be a light along our way.

Word of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, you entered this world,
- live in our hearts always through faith.

Closing Prayer:
Jesus, you became one of us on this earth.
What I want now is to be more like you:
more compassionate and patient,
more guided by your Holy Spirit.

'In this is love.' It is impossible to believe
in the kind of love you have for me.
If only I believed it - how different my life would be!
It seems impossible that you could love me as you do
and yet you are the very center of that impossible love.

Help me to be more grateful for all you have given me
so that my response might be one of generosity
to you and those you have placed in my life.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Celebrating Christmas Home | Creighton University's Online Ministries

Thursday of the Second Week of Christmas - January 4
Daily Prayer 

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who bestow light on all the nations,
grant your peoples the gladness of lasting peace
and pour into our hearts that brilliant light
by which you purified the minds of our fathers in faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. *

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 207

Daily Meditation:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. ...
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 1 John 4

"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!"
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6

How often fear takes away our ability to love!
But, love drives out fear.
It appears that the key is to "understand the incident of the loaves."
If Jesus has power, then it is foolish for us to fear.
If we won't let Jesus have power in our lives,
then our hearts are still hardened.

Let us surrender our hearts to the Lord,
that we might let him love us
and take away all our fears,
that we might love more courageously, more completely.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
In the fullness of time, the eternal Word was begotten of the Father.
He is the child who is born for us, the son who is given to us.
To him we lift our voices in joy:
Praise be to you, Lord.

Son of the living God, you existed before the world was made
and you came on earth to save all,
- enable us to be witnesses to your Gospel.

Sun of Justice, whose brightness shone forth from the bosom of the Father
and flooded the entire world,
- be light for all who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

You became a little child and lay in a manger,
- renew in us the simplicity of little children.

For our sake you became the living bread of eternal life,
- fill us with joy through the sacrament of your altar.

Closing Prayer:
My love for you is so imperfect, Lord.
I know I am filled with fear
and yet I long to taste the depths of your love.

Give me the joy of lasting peace
and fill my heart with so much love
that there is no more room for the worry and dread.

Open my eyes to those around me
and give me the courage to act in justice
to make their lives better
as you would do for me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

 Celebrating Christmas Home | Creighton University's Online Ministries

Friday of the Second Week of Christmas - January 5
Daily Prayer 

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who through your Son raised up your eternal light for all nations,
grant that your people may come to acknowledge
the full splendor of their Redeemer,
that, bathed ever more in his radiance,
they may reach everlasting glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. *

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 208

Daily Meditation:
We love because he first loved us.
If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Luke 4

The mission of Jesus is so clear.
He has come to show us how to love;
how to love those who most in need of love.
Sometimes the poorest, neediest person,
is the person in my own house that I have the least patience with.
I can't say I love God and ignore the one I'm called to love.

May we have the light, the grace, of this week,
all about love,
to love more and more,
starting out very close to home.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Rejoice in the wonderful works of the Lord
for he has given us hope through the birth of his Son.
Let us all cry out with great joy:
Glory to God in the highest.

With the angels and patriarchs and prophets,
- we praise you, Lord.

With Mary, the Virgin Mother of God,
- our whole being proclaims your greatness, Lord.

With the apostles and evangelists,
- we give you thanks, Lord.

With all the holy martyrs,
- we offer our bodies to you as consecrated victims.

With all your holy witnesses in the Church,
- we dedicate our lives to you in deepest faith.

Closing Prayer:
You have given me the great gift of faith
that offers so much meaning in my life.
You call me to see with new eyes, those who are in my life
and ask me to love them as you love me.
Such a challenge, Lord!

As you touched the eyes of the blind and let in the light,
touch my heart and help me to open it
to those who most annoy me,
those who are hardest for me to love.

I know that I am only redeemed through you
and I beg you to fan the flame of hope in my life.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.