Prayer During the Day
Christmas Season
    Saturday, 27 December 2025
John, Apostle and Evangelist
     
     
      Preparation  
     
    O God, make speed to save us.
All
   O Lord, make haste to help us.
     
    I will give thanks to you, Lord, with my whole heart;
All
   I will tell of all your marvellous works.
   
Psalm 9.1
     
   
Praise
  
     
    A hymn, song, canticle, extempore praise or
     
    Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
   
from Gloria in Excelsis
     
   
The Word of God
  
     
     
   
Psalmody
     
    Either, Saturday Psalm 150
     
    (or)
     
    Or, on any day Psalm 8
     
    Alternatively, when Morning and Evening Prayer are also celebrated, one of these cycles may be followed.
     
   

Psalm 150

Refrain: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

1 Alleluia.
      O praise God in his holiness; ♦
   praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts; ♦
   praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet; ♦
   praise him upon the harp and lyre.

4 Praise him with timbrel and dances; ♦
   praise him upon the strings and pipe.

5 Praise him with ringing cymbals; ♦
   praise him upon the clashing cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath ♦
   praise the Lord.
      Alleluia.

Refrain: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

God of life and love,
whose Son was victorious over sin and death,
make us alive with his life,
that the whole world may resound with your praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
     
    (or)
     
   

Psalm 8

A second version of Psalm 8 can be found here.

1 O Lord our governor, ♦
   how glorious is your name in all the world!

2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised ♦
   out of the mouths of babes at the breast.

3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, ♦
   that you might still the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, ♦
   the moon and the stars that you have ordained,

5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; ♦
   the son of man, that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him little lower than the angels ♦
   and crown him with glory and honour.

7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands ♦
   and put all things under his feet,

8 All sheep and oxen, ♦
   even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea ♦
   and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our governor, ♦
   how glorious is your name in all the world!

We bless you, master of the heavens,
for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;
grant that your whole creation
may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ our Saviour.
    Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
     
All
   Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
     
   
Short readings
  
     
    Either, Saturday
    Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
   
Hebrews 1.1-3a
     
    Or, on any day of Christmas
    In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
   
John 1.4,5
     
   
Response
  
     
    Silence, study, song, or words from Scripture, such as
     
    Blessed are the pure in heart,
All
   for they will see God.
   
Matthew 5.8
     
   
Prayers
  
     
    Prayers may include these concerns:
     
    The Church, especially in places of conflict
    The Holy Land, for peace with justice, and reconciliation
    Refugees and asylum seekers
    Homeless people
    Families with young children
     
    A form of intercession found here may be used.
     
    Either, the following prayer is said
     
    Almighty and everlasting God,
who stooped to raise fallen humanity
through the child-bearing of blessed Mary;
grant that we, who have seen your glory
      revealed in our human nature
and your love made perfect in our weakness,
may daily be renewed in your image
and conformed to the pattern of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
   Amen.
   
Collect of the Blessed Virgin Mary
     
     
    Or, the Collect of the day is said
     
    Merciful Lord,
cast your bright beams of light upon the Church:
that, being enlightened by the teaching
of your blessed apostle and evangelist Saint John,
we may so walk in the light of your truth
that we may at last attain to the light of everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ your incarnate Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
     
    The Lord’s Prayer is said.
     
    (Either)
     
    As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
     
    (or)
     
    Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
     
   
The Conclusion
  
     
    May the grace of Christ our Saviour be with us all.
All
   Amen.
     
   

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from Church House Publishing.

The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Implemented by Simon Kershaw at Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.