Pre-Christmas Prayer

Baby Jesus at the Vatican Basilica

I wrote this prayer for my homily yesterday and many people seemed to like it as they asked for copies, and so here it is. It's a prayer that fits well before Christmas, as it speaks about the dangers of too much materialism and very little attention to the real 'Reason for this Season' - the birthday of Baby Jesus.
My Lord and my God, please deliver me from a false Christmas – that type of Christmas that always tries to rob me from a Christian spirit and fills me up with an abundance of material things. Deliver me from the frenetic haste which leaves me with absolutely no time whatsoever for You. Deliver me from excessive buying of things that I don’t need, that I can’t wear anymore, I can’t use them, and I simply cannot even look at them. Deliver me from the various moods that do not allow me to experience the spirit of a true holy Christmas. For once I beg you Lord to remove from our midst the sound of clanging coins, the whistling and beeping of cell-phones and mobiles, the annoying horns of cars whizzing by uncontrollably, and instead, for once let us hear the sweet sound of Angels.
For once let me feed my soul with the beautiful and touching story of the birth of Christ, and instead of overindulging with cakes, sweets and excessive drinks, let me nourish myself with the spirit of simplicity which the shepherds showed towards Baby Jesus, with the spirit of generosity that the Three Kings shared with Baby Jesus, and with the joy and contentment which the angels spread when they announced ‘Glory to God and Peace on earth!’
My Lord, do not let me be another victim of the material traps which I see all around me during this festive season, to such an extent that I lose sight of the real reason why this season should be so special. Deliver me Lord from the yearning to eat and over-eat, from going to one party after another, from the excessive use of those plastic credit cards, and from the temptation to over spend in on-line shopping. And above all, deliver me from the unnecessary need to exchange gifts, but remind me to give one gift to Him for whom the entire world stops and reflects towards the end of December, to admire Him and sing to Him, as they do annually for each and every one us “Happy Birthday to You, dear Baby Jesus.”