The Spirit of Christmas | Page 7

wholesome custom. It helps one to feel the supremacy of the
common life over the individual life. It reminds a man to set his own
little watch, now and then, by the great clock of humanity which runs
on sun time.
But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and
that is, keeping Christmas.
Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to
remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the
world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your
rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and
your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see
that your fellow-men are just as real as you are, and try to look behind
their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only
good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of
life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of
complaints against the management of the universe, and look around
you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness--are you
willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep
Christmas.
Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires
of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people
who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you,
and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the
things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to try to
understand what those who live in the same house with you really want,
without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will
give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your

shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts,
and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open--are you
willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep
Christmas.
Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the
world--stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death--and
that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years
ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can
keep Christmas.
And if you keep it for a day, why not always?
But you can never keep it alone.
* * * * *

TWO CHRISTMAS PRAYERS

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER FOR THE HOME
Father of all men, look upon our family, Kneeling together before Thee,
And grant us a true Christmas.
With loving heart we bless Thee: For the gift of Thy dear Son Jesus
Christ, For the peace He brings to human homes, For the good-will He
teaches to sinful men, For the glory of Thy goodness shining in His
face.
With joyful voice we praise Thee: For His lowly birth and His rest in
the manger, For the pure tenderness of His mother Mary, For the
fatherly care that protected Him, For the Providence that saved the
Holy Child To be the Saviour of the world.
With deep desire we beseech Thee: Help us to keep His birthday truly,
Help us to offer, in His name, our Christmas prayer.
From the sickness of sin and the darkness of doubt, From selfish
pleasures and sullen pains, From the frost of pride and the fever of envy,
God save us every one, through the blessing of Jesus.
In the health of purity and the calm of mutual trust, In the sharing of
joy and the bearing of trouble, In the steady glow of love and the clear
light of hope, God keep us every one, by the blessing of Jesus.
In praying and praising, in giving and receiving, In eating and drinking,
in singing and making merry, In parents' gladness and in children's
mirth, In dear memories of those who have departed, In good

comradeship with those who are here, In kind wishes for those who are
far away, In patient waiting, sweet contentment, generous cheer, God
bless us every one, with the blessing of Jesus.
By remembering our kinship with all men, By well-wishing, friendly
speaking and kindly doing, By cheering the downcast and adding
sunshine to daylight, By welcoming strangers (poor shepherds or wise
men), By keeping the music of the angels' song in this home, God help
us every one to share the blessing of Jesus: In whose name we keep
Christmas: And in whose words we pray together:
_Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name._ _Thy
kingdom come. Thy