— Children Thirst for God —
CHRISTMAS PRAYERS
This site, drawn from the Catholic prayer tradition, offers support to those
helping children to pray as they begin their relationship to God.
Christmas Prayers
How dark outside!
How dark outside but a star’s in the sky;
Mary and Joseph are passing by.
So let’s light a candle and welcome them
as they go on their way to Bethlehem.
We’ll light a candle in church each day,
We’ll light one candle each week and pray.
We’ll light a candle at home each day,
We’ll light a candle each week and pray.
O God
O God,
as light comes from this candle,
may the blessing of Jesus Christ come to us,
warming our hearts
and brightening our way.
May Christ our Savior bring life
into the darkness of this world,
and to us and all on Christmas Day.
Advent Prayers
First Week
O Jesus Christ, Emmanuel,
come and dwell with us.
Desire of all nations;
Gift to every generation,
Come, make your home with us.
All nations, everybody, is waiting for you,
Indians and Esquimos are waiting for you,
People in New York are waiting for you.
People in China are waiting for you.
Jesus, come, make your home with us.
Second Week
O Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace,
come and save your people.
Joy of every heart, Strength of those who are poor,
come quickly to help us.
Prince of Peace, teach the lion and the little lamb,
teach the cat and the mouse,
the hawk and the tiny bird, teach everyone who doesn’t get along
to live in peace.
Third Week
O Jesus Christ, Key of David, come and set your people free.
Open the doors of heaven for us; come, deliver us from evil.
King David was a mighty king who built a city long ago.
He left a key that Jesus found in the manger hay.
Key of David, Jesus Christ, open heaven’s doors for us.
Fourth Week
O Jesus Christ, Holy Wisdom,
come and teach us your way;
Word of life, Word made flesh, come
and tell us your truth.
Jesus, come and teach me, how to sing
and play,
how to learn new words; tell me what to
say. Teach me how to be a child, for you know the way
Preparing the home for Christmas
We’ll stay at home and make our house clean,
With the brightest things of red and green.
And we’ll wait for Jesus until he comes,
We’ll wait until he comes.
First we’ll put up a tree all shiny and bright,
with lights and balls to shine through the night.
Then build him a house with a little bed,
a place high enough not to bump his head.
Bring sheep and shepherds to see him new-born,
and a cow and a donkey to keep him warm.
O Good Lord Jesus, asleep in the hay,
Bless all little children each night and each day.
The Story of St Nicholas For Children
Video 1: St. Nicholas, for YOUNGER children
Video 2: St. Nicholas, for OLDER childreN
