Christmas Day Prayer: Short and Catholic Prayers for Christmas Morning and Day

By /
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

A Christmas Day prayer thanks God for the birth of Jesus, asks for his peace in our homes, and remembers those who are alone or suffering on this day. Here is one you can pray right now, followed by short Christmas prayers for cards and texts, a Christmas morning prayer to say before opening gifts, the Church’s own prayers from the three Masses of Christmas, and prayers for the people who find Christmas hardest. In 2026, Christmas Day is Friday, December 25.

A Christmas Day prayer, written for this page:

Lord Jesus Christ, today you were born for us.
You came as a little child, so that no one would be afraid to come near you.
Thank you for this day, for the people around this table and for those we miss.
Be born again in our hearts: make our home a place of your peace, our words gentle and our hands generous.
Remember the poor, the sick, the lonely and all who spend this day in sorrow,
and let the joy of the angels reach them too.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. Amen.

Short Christmas prayers

One or two lines each, for a Christmas card, a text message, a quick grace or a child’s bedtime. All written for this page.

  • Jesus, born in Bethlehem, be born again in my heart today. Amen.
  • Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son. Help us to give ourselves to each other as freely as you gave him to us. Amen.
  • Emmanuel, God with us: stay with us in every season of this coming year. Amen.
  • Holy Child of Bethlehem, bless this home and all who enter it. Amen.
  • Light of the world, shine on those who sit in darkness this Christmas. Amen.
  • Mary and Joseph, who found no room at the inn, pray for all who have no home tonight. Amen.
  • Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Merry Christmas!
  • Lord, the greatest gift came wrapped in swaddling clothes. Teach us to love the simple things. Amen.
  • Prince of Peace, quiet the noise of this day long enough for us to adore you. Amen.
  • Little Jesus, thank you for coming to be my friend. Amen. (for children)

A Christmas morning prayer before opening gifts

Gather before the tree or the Nativity scene, and let a child place the figure of the baby Jesus in the manger if it is not there yet. Then pray, written for this page:

Heavenly Father, before we open our gifts, we thank you for the first and greatest gift: your Son, Jesus.
The shepherds came with empty hands and went home full of joy. Give us the same joy this morning.
Bless the people who chose, wrapped and gave these presents, and make us grateful, not greedy.
May every gift we share today remind us of the love you have shown us in Christ our Lord. Amen.

Many families then read the Christmas Gospel together (Luke 2:1–14), which you will find on our page of Catholic Christmas prayers, with a blessing for the Nativity scene.

The Church’s prayers for Christmas Day

The Church celebrates Christmas with three Masses: during the night, at dawn and during the day, each with its own opening prayer (collect). These are the traditional collects, in the 1916 English translation.

At the Mass during the night (Midnight Mass):

Let us pray: O God, who hast made this most sacred night to shine forth from the brightness of the true light, grant, we beseech thee, that we may enjoy in heaven his happiness, the mystery of whose light we have known upon earth. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

At the Mass at dawn:

Let us pray: Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that, filled with the new light of thy incarnate Word, what by faith shineth in our minds, may show forth in our works. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

At the Mass during the day:

Let us pray: Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that the new birth of thine only begotten Son in the flesh may deliver us who are held by the old bondage under the yoke of sin. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

These short prayers are ideal for grace before the Christmas meal or for the family’s evening prayer. For the Masses themselves, their times and which ones fulfill the obligation, see Christmas Mass 2026.

A Christmas Day prayer for church

For a pastor, deacon or leader to open a Christmas service or a parish gathering, written for this page:

God of glory, on this holy day the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
We have come, like the shepherds, to see what you have made known to us.
Open our ears to the message of the angels, our eyes to the Child in the manger and our hearts to one another,
so that we may leave this place glorifying and praising you for all we have heard and seen.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the intercessions at Mass, use our Prayers of the Faithful for Christmas.

Christmas Day prayers for those who find it hard

For those who are alone

Lord Jesus, you were born far from home and laid in a borrowed manger.
Be close to all who are alone today: the widowed, the elderly, the estranged, the far away.
Let them feel that they are not forgotten, and send someone to knock on their door. Amen.

For those who are grieving

God of all consolation, this is the first Christmas without [name].
The carols are hard to sing and the empty chair is hard to look at.
Hold us in our sorrow, and let the light of Christmas reach even here.
Give [name] a place at the table of heaven, where every tear is wiped away. Amen.

Our prayers for deceased loved ones have more for the days after a loss.

For the sick and those who care for them

Christ, who came to heal and to save, visit everyone who spends Christmas in a hospital bed or a sick room.
Give them rest and courage, and give strength and tenderness to the nurses, doctors and families who care for them. Amen.

For those who work on Christmas Day

Lord, you came while shepherds kept watch over their flocks by night.
Bless all who work today so that others can be safe and celebrate: nurses, police, firefighters, soldiers, drivers and cooks.
Keep them safe and let the angels’ joy find them at their posts. Amen.

A prayer for peace on Christmas Day

Prince of Peace, born in a land torn by conflict,
look on the places where children are hungry, families are divided and weapons speak louder than words.
Turn the hearts of leaders toward peace and the hearts of all of us toward forgiveness,
beginning in our own homes today. Amen.

How Catholics keep Christmas Day

  • Mass. Christmas is a holy day of obligation. Any of the Christmas Masses fulfills it, including the vigil Mass on the evening of December 24.
  • The Christmas season begins. Christmas is not one day but a season. Its first eight days form the Octave of Christmas, ending on January 1 with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the season continues until the Baptism of the Lord (January 10, 2027).
  • The crib. The Christ Child is placed in the manger on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, and the Magi keep traveling toward it until the Epiphany.
  • Meat on a Friday. In 2026 Christmas falls on a Friday, but no one is bound to abstain from meat: Friday abstinence does not apply on a solemnity (Code of Canon Law, canon 1251).

Frequently asked questions

What is a good short prayer for Christmas Day?

“Jesus, born in Bethlehem, be born again in my heart today. Amen.” Short prayers like the ones above work well for cards, texts and grace before the Christmas meal.

Is Christmas Day 2026 a holy day of obligation?

Yes. Catholics are bound to attend Mass on Christmas, which in 2026 falls on Friday, December 25. A Mass on the evening of December 24 also fulfills the obligation.

Can Catholics eat meat on Christmas 2026, since it is a Friday?

Yes. Christmas is a solemnity, and the law of Friday abstinence does not apply on solemnities.

What prayer is said at the beginning of Christmas Mass?

Each of the three Christmas Masses has its own opening prayer, or collect. The traditional texts are given above in the section on the Church’s prayers for Christmas Day.

More Christmas prayers

Texts and sources

  • Collects of the Vigil and of the three Masses of Christmas: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), public domain (archive.org).
  • Luke 2:1–20 (the shepherds and the song of the angels).
  • Code of Canon Law, canons 1246–1248 (holy days and the obligation), canon 1251 (abstinence and solemnities).
  • All other prayers on this page were written for biddingprayers.com by Seminarian Giuseppe.