Christmas

Let us pray (in silence) [that we may grow into the fullness of the Christmas message]

pause

Almighty God,
you gave your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him,
and be born of the Virgin Mary;
grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.

NZPB p. 556

Although possibly drawing from the Gelasian Sacramentary for Christmas Day (17) and the Gregorian Sacramentary for "other prayers for the birthday of the Lord" (58), this collect is Cranmer's composition for the 1549 Prayer Book for the second communion on Christmas day:

ALMYGHTYE God, whiche haste geuen us thy onlye begotten sonne to take our nature upon hym, and this daye to bee borne of a pure Vyrgyn; Graunte that we beyng regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, maye dailye be renued by thy holy spirite, through the same our Lorde Jesus Christe who lyueth and reygneth &c.

It became the only Christmas Day collect in the 1662 revision where "this day" became "as at this time."

This collect is notable for its theological density: the purpose of the incarnation is that we, through adoption and grace, might become what Christ is by nature, and this incarnation at one time is renewed in us daily. See also 2 Cor 4:16, Col 3:10, Eph 3:16.