a Christmas prayer

I received this in the mail and really wanted to save it for next year, but I can't guarantee that I'll remember I have it, much less know where I've put it. So, here it is now -


A Christmas Prayer,   by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father,

Help us remember

the birth of Jesus,

that we may share in the

song of the angels,

the gladness of the shepherds,

and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open

the door 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

which Christ brings, and teach us

to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning

make us happy to be thy children,

and Christmas evening bring us

to our beds with grateful thoughts,

forgiving and forgiven,

for Jesus' sake.

Amen.