Not everyone looks forward to Christmas. Some dread it, especially those who have lost loved ones around this time. While others celebrate and make merry, they wrestle with the pain of bereavement and the absence of a loved one. In this short prayer, taken from The Little Book of Christmas Prayers, we remember those for whom memories cause them to struggle at this time of year.
At this time, Lord,
of getting together with loved ones,
reach out to all who mourn rather than celebrate,
their sense of loss and loneliness
heightened by this season.
Draw close to them,
and bring hope and comfort in their pain.
Amen.
Amen.
Yes, many bereaved people must dread Christmas. I also feel for all the children whose Christmas turns out to be dismal because of parent’s alcohol abuse. And, as a vegan, I dread the mass slaughter of turkeys, chickens and other birds and animals.