An Anaphora for Christmas Emmanuel

Mark Lodico 1995

Christmas HE

1 of 4

rev. 7/12/07

An Anaphora for Christmas Emmanuel

Mark Lodico 1995

Presider

Tender and life-giving Father, from the beginning and in many ways, you offer yourself to us. In all events of our lives, your beauty, power, and love draw us to You. You attract us through our loving and longing, The shepherds, their flocks, the magi, their craft, the angels, their caroling. You train our hearts for compassion through our delights and suffering. You show us yourself in Spirit-Bearers holy men and women of all ages. You always seek us out even when we wander far from you. In all these ways, you share your life with us. This is the night when flesh of our flesh and blood of our blood, Your Word becomes one of us and no one and no life is distant from you. Tonight, you restore the harmony of the world we have broken, and you crown your creation with hope for new life.

Christmas HE

2 of 4

rev. 7/12/07

In Jesus, you show the pattern of true human life, and enable us to live like him. Jesus life and stories are the way for us. He opens our eyes to your life already here, his meals rejoice us. His keeping company with sinners heartens the whole world. In Jesus, you become our friend and lover. On the night he was handed over for the life of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and saying the blessing, he gave himself to his friends saying, Take, eat, this is my body given for you, Whenever you do this I will be with you. After supper, also, he took the cup of wine, and saying the blessing, he offered himself again to his friends, saying, Take, drink, this is my blood, shed for you, whenever you do this, I will be with you. Rejoicing that you continue to work for our salvation, we recall your mighty deeds. You created the earth, the heavens, and all that lives in beauty and harmony. You transform men and women to live like you and have opened the mouths of reluctant prophets.

Christmas HE

3 of 4

rev. 7/12/07

This night, we remember Jesus birth, your seeking us out when we were lost, The cross, the tomb, the resurrection, the outpouring of your Spirit. O Life-giver, we remember your acts, we praise you, and we bless you,
People We praise you, we bless you, we give thanks to you, and we pray to you, Lord our God.

Presider

Father, we ask you to send your life-giving Spirit on all of us here so that we may become light and leaven for a new world, and be born anew in Christ tonight. Send your Spirit also on these gifts to make them the body and blood of your Son, food for our journey to you and the way to peace on earth. Tonight, Father, call us and all warring peoples to your kingdom of peace. Open the eyes of our hearts to find you everywhere; enable us to live like Jesus, inviting and welcoming all people to your banquet of love, and longing for the day when You, Father, will wipe away all tears and be all in all, We thank you that even now we may joyfully sing your praises with the angels and archangels, singing,
[Sanctus and Benedictus]

Christmas HE

4 of 4

rev. 7/12/07