The Day of Joy

The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, 

and crowns another year with peace and good will. 

Help us rightly 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 wisemen. 

Close the doors of hate and open the doors 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 that Christ brings,

and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. 

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be your children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake, amen. 

(a prayer by Henry Van Dyke, very slightly revised; photo by JillWellington via pixabay.com)