Christmas Carol Service
Preparation
Prepare the area for this service by darkening the room.
Place a crib, without the baby Jesus at the centre of the room, using the strips of paper with students’ Advent resolutions as the straw.
Light a few candles around the crib in a circle.
Position the Advent wreath on a table covered with a coloured liturgical cloth, in a place where it can be seen by everyone.
Put some oil burners around the room.
Distribute about 20 small unlit candles to students sitting in different parts of the room.
The walls could be covered with different decorations from all years. For example, a large star of David, Nativity scenes, different names for Jesus (Emmanuel, Son of David, Light of the World etc…).
Place the Jesse Tree in a prominent position.
As students gather play the Taize chant ‘Wait for the Lord’.
*****
The service begins with a student walking towards the centre, carrying a candle, saying:
“Get the road ready for the Lord; make a straight path for him to travel! Every valley must be filled up, every hill and mountain levelled off. The winding roads must be made straight, and the rough paths made smooth. The whole human race will see God’s salvation!!”
[Mk. 1:2-4]
(Reader 2) Standing at a mic.:
These word were the cry of John the Baptist. His mission was to prepare the people of his day for the coming of Jesus. John’s challenge still holds true for us today.
But lets be honest…for many of us our biggest challenge at the moment is to get organised for Christmas…
- Have I studied for my Christmas tests?
- Have I done all my Christmas shopping?
- What will I wear ?
Our senses are bombarded with advertisements, Santas by the dozen, tinny sounding jingle bells and flashing lights. They sometimes make me think…. because the tinsel and glitter try to dispel the darkness and if we pretend the darkness isn’t there it’s harder to accept the bright hope of the Christian message - God is with us!
Hymn: Away in a Manger
(Readers: Narrator (3), Mary(4) and Angel(5))
“..God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazereth. He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, ‘Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!” Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message, and she wondered what the words meant. The angel said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God!…Mary said to the angel ‘I am the Lord’s servant, may it happen to me as you have said.’”
[Lk. 1:26-35]
(Reader 6):
Mary was a poor young woman, only about 14 years old, yet God chose her for a very important job. We often think of Mary as very different from ourselves. Yet it is the same God who loves Mary and who loves us.
God asked Mary the question ‘Will you bring Christ into the world?’ Mary answered with a definite yes. Today we are faced with the same question. How well are we answering?
When do I make time for Jesus in my life? Mary prepared for nine months for the coming of Jesus. How am I preparing for His coming this Christmas? How can I live my life as God wants me to live it?
Lighting of Advent Wreath
(Reader 7):
This season of Advent is a time when we prepare for the coming of Christmas, a time of year when we welcome Jesus into our hearts again. As we light our Advent wreath let us remember that Jesus came as the Light of the World; in all He said and did. He lit up the lives of those He met. Our challenge is to do the same. Jesus’ birth is drawing near, the brightness is increasing.
Hymn: O Holy Night
At this point, while the Advent Wreath is being lit three prefects come forward to light tapers from the Wreath.
They move through the room, lighting candles of the 20 students positioned around the room.
(Readers: Narrator(8), Angel(9)).
“There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very night in Bethlehem your Saviour was born – Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God!”
[Lk.2 : 8-13]
Hymn: Angels We Have Heard on High
(Reader 10):
Reflection: Christmas Meditation
(from Prayer Services for Young People).
Hymn: O Come All Ye Faithful
Hampers
(Reader 11):
Christmas is not always a joyful time for everyone. In this season of giving and receiving, we should be conscious of the many gifts we have and be willing to give to others generously.
We now offer what we have gathered for needy families. We have been putting these hampers together in our classes for the St. Vincent de Paul.
A representative from each year will now come forward and place what we have collected before the crib.
Hymn: A Ray of Hope
Prayers of the Faithful
Choose whichever prayers you think are suitable.
(Reader 12)
Reflection: Mary’s Dream
Final Prayer
(Reader 13):
Come, Lord Jesus, into our world of love and work, of joy and pain, of hope and doubt. Come with your gift of joy and peace this Christmas, to us and all we meet. Come, and be born within our hearts and among us, you, the Saviour of the world.
Closing Hymn: The First Noel
This service could be finished with the singing of a variety of Christmas songs, both religious and secular. All members of the school community could be encouraged to sing.
Prayers of the Faithful
1. Lord, sometimes our Christmas preparations can be so overwhelming that we forget it is really our hearts which need to be prepared. Mary and Joseph couldn’t find any room at the inn. This Christmas we pray that when Jesus comes knocking on the door of our hearts He will find room at the inn.
Lord hear us.
2. We pray for those who struggle at Christmastime, those who find it difficult to provide for their families, those who get depressed, those for whom Christmas is more of a burden than a joy.
May the Lord comfort them and keep them in His care.
Lord hear us
- Lord Jesus, you became human just like us. As we wait to celebrate your birth this Christmas, let us remember to always try to imitate your example by what we say and do.
Lord hear us.
- Let us pray for Mothers. Jesus your mother loved you very much and loves us as her children too. Bless all mothers especially those who are ready to give birth.
Lord hear us
- We take a few moments to think of those people who make our lives happy.
We pray that they will be happy and content this Christmas.
Lord hear us.
- We pray for all of us here in this school. May we have a good holiday and return refreshed and ready to do our best in the New Year.
Lord hear us.
- Let us pray for all our relations and friends, especially those who have emigrated and won’t be home for Christmas this year.
May they enjoy Christmas where ever they are, and know that we are thinking of them and praying for them.
Lord hear us.
- Lord, help us to live the peace that Jesus brought us. Help us to walk the way that He shows us. Help us to be as loving and as unselfish as He is.
Lord hear us.
- Lord, may we realise that in each person we see there is a brother or a sister and you. Open our eyes to the needs of others, show us ways to help them. Give us the courage to look and act beyond the barriers of colour, creed or class.
Lord hear us.
- Let us pray for Peace.
Lord, comfort those whose hearts are troubled at this time. May we all experience your peace in our hearts, minds and homes this Christmas.
Lord hear us.
*****
Christmas Meditation
Each paragraph might be read by a different person:
Nobody expected him just like that: a baby, a manger, a young man, a young woman.
Nobody expected that his first visitors would be shepherds,
Little thought of in the eyes of the great.
Yes, he has come, but not as we expected.
The kings of the time had sons and daughters, but who remembers them now?
Who would know now of Herod, except that He had spoken of him?
Who would have thought that more people in today's world know of Nazareth
A poverty-stricken, sleepy townland,
Than know af Antioch or Alexandria,
The places big in the minds and on the tongues of the time,
But not big in the heart of God?
Our notion of fame and success are turned upside-down.
Long after Herod's castles have turned to ruin, the cave of Bethlehem stands strong and holy,
A place of hope for generations yet unborn
Because one starry night the Son of God was born there.
Only the heart that wants to love and love forever can recognise the beauty of God in the darkness of the cave.
Only such hearts can see greatness and dignity in the shepherd.
Only such hearts can see in this child the glory and life of God.
We didn't expect that later he would walk our bloodstained earth and share the sweat of our toil and agony and sadness, as he still walks this day.
Nor that he would laugh with the happy just because they were happy.
Nor that he would be nailed to a wooden cross so that the life of man would mingle with the blood of man’s death
And the love of God displayed in Jesus, would conquer.
Nor did we expect that he would say things like,
‘He who sees you sees me’
or ‘What you do for the least of my people you do for me.’
It’s strange and unexpected that God would reach out to touch mankind
Through the hands of an infant in a poor farmyard.
And it’s strange, though beautiful, that our song,
‘Glory to God and peace on earth’,
is a call to be be his peace, justice and his music on earth.
Can we honestly sing ‘Come, all ye faithful’
When what God means is
‘Come to my Bethlehem,
and my Bethlehem is no longer a hillside cave
but it is where you create friendship, justice and love
among each other and bring Christ my son to birth’
(from Prayer Services for Young People)