On the Ox and the Ass: Prayers

Prayers for the Carol Service, St Mary's, Little Ilford

18 December 2016

Theme: The ox and the donkey by the manger

V. Gd, you know us and love us
R. Help us to know and love you.

The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger [Isaiah 1.3].

Gd, you know we all want

to be surrounded by family and friends

and live in safety.

We pray for all victims of war and violence,

all refugees and desperate migrants,

and more simply for those who live with loneliness,

that all find their way to a true home.

The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger.

You call on us to care for all animals and all creation.

Bless those who speak the truth about the messes we are in.

Make us proper stewards of the earth's resources,

living simply that others may simply live.

The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger.

We thank you for the nourishment that is ours,

even the treats that we will in a moment enjoy.

Teach us not to forget or ignore those who go without,

whose lives are threatened by starvation.

Teach us to be generous, as you are generous.

The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger.

And Mary and Joseph know that the child in this manger is set to change the world.

As his birth unsettled first shepherds, then wise men,

so may your Church continue to discomfort the comfortable,

through words of truth,

and acts that bring in the pushed-out.

The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger.

In the Christ-child you come

so that we might truly know and love

you, the enemy, the stranger, those close to us

and even our selves.

Give us what we need

so that, all feasting, fun, and unmet expectations aside,

we draw close to you in a new way.