December Prayer

Dear God, deliver me from the phony Christmas; the one that reaches its materialistic tentacles out to capture me and rob me of the real thing.  Deliver me from the mania and madness of harried schedules, from frantic shopping... the acquiring of goods for people who don't need them, don't want them, won't wear them and can't use them. Save me from the folly of mood changes brought on by holly, mistletoe, wreathes, boughs and eggnog. For once, O God, clear my ears of the ringing of the cash register and the clanging of bells and in their place let me hear the angel's song.  For once let me fill my soul with the reading of the Christ-child, the wise men, the angels, and the star, instead of feeding my body on fruitcakes and caloried candies and cakes.  

O Lord, don't let me fall prey again to all the trappings of the season to the point that I miss the real event.  Lord, deliver me from over fondness of food, a yearn to party, the urge to spend with the plastic cards, the temptation to spend hundreds of dollars in on-line spending. And Lord, in the giving and exchanging of myriads of gifts, let me not forget to give a worthy gift to Him whose birthday it really is. Amen.