“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God…
What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.”
–John 1:1-4
Dearest One, heart of our hearts,
You came into the world bearing Light.
You came into the world that we might be Light.
For the sake of the Light that sustains you,
For the sake of the Star-light that inspires us to find you,
For the sake of the tender Light that surrounds you,
Be our Candle-light to guide and strengthen us
as we hold out your Light and
Speak Peace to power
Replace cruelty with Justice
Bring Redemption to the ensnared
Give Life to the overburdend
For the sake of the Light that sustains you,
For the sake of the Star-light that inspires us to find you,
For the sake of the tender Light that surrounds you,
Be our Candle-light to guide and strengthen us
as we hold out your Light and
Provide nourishment to those who hunger in body, mind or soul
Cherish the Earth
Heal the pain-filled and despairing
Love beyond measure
For the sake of the Light that sustains you,
For the sake of the Star-light that inspires us to find you,
For the sake of the tender Light that surrounds you,
Be our Candle-light to guide and strengthen us
as we hold out your Light and
Pass the Light from candle-tip to candle-tip, to candle-tip
Adore the Light that shines within every human being
Bless with amazement and awe and wonder
this Gift, this Light, with which You have treasured us.
As is our custom every year at Christmas, we invite you to join us in praying for and blessing everyone in every nation and territory on the Earth, everyone who is now, has ever been, or ever will be:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi
Côte d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia (Czech Republic),
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Ethiopia
Fiji, Finland, France
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana
Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (formerly Burma),
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway
Oman
Pakistan, Palau, Palestine State, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal
Qatar
Romania, Russia, Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia, Zimbabwe
_______________________________________________
Photo of light breaking through clouds taken by Andee Zetterbaum,
near Walnut Grove, California (US), December 2024
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