Each of the family may recite this prayer at the eve of the Chinese New Year, when the family members reunite before the reunion meal or at any convenient time. All gather before the Holy Cross or the statue of Jesus, or the Image of Holy Trinity (with flowers, light up a candle, etc.) Parents or other members of the family can be assigned as leader to lead the ceremony below
The leader will lead by first making the sign of cross and recite the opening prayer.
Opening Prayer 🕯️
Holy Father, the creator of the universe and Lord over all creation, on this new year eve, we as family gathered here and humbly stand before You in thanksgiving for your loving care and the graces we received in the past one year. We offer our prayers and praises to You and may You bless our family, guide us to live fully and joyfully, faithfully serving you in this life and the life to come. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen
Pray in silence and may read the passage from the bible as provided below
Gospel Reading (Choose either one) 💌
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (5:16,20-21, 25, 33; 6:1,4)
Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil, be filled with the Spirit. Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
The word of the Lord
All: Thanks be the God
OR
Letter of St Paul to the Colossians (3:12-17 - Sing praises to God with thankfulness in your hearts)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The word of the Lord
All: Thanks be the God
OR
Book of Exodus (12:1-5, 14 - The Feast of Passover)
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month will stand at the head of your calendar; you will reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every family must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a household is too small for a lamb, it along with its nearest neighbor will procure one, and apportion the lamb’s costYour lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. in proportion to the number of persons, according to what each household consumes. This day will be a day of remembrance for you, which your future generations will celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD; you will celebrate it as a statute forever.
The word of the Lord
All: Thanks be the God
Prayer 🙏
- Lead: Our loving Father, we thank You for the graces you have given us in the past year, especially in this Chinese New Year’s Eve to enable our whole family to gather here in peace. We praise You and we thank You.
Respond: God the father, we praise you forever
- Lead: We praise You and we thank You, Father, for given us your begotten son, Jesus Christ as the way to lead us to heaven. We acknowledge that in the past, we failed to perform our duty diligently as Christian, therefore at this moment, we ask You to forgive us.
Respond: Lord, have mercy on us
- Lead: We praise You and we thank you Lord, for You have blessed us with a family, so that we can love one another and live harmoniously and peacefully in this journey of life. Please forgive us when we failed to love, damaging harmony and tranquility in the family.
Respond: Lord, please forgive us
- Lead: We praise You and we thank You Lord, for You have blessed us with the nourishment and strength from the holy scripture in the bible and thru the blessed sacraments established by Jesus Christ to enable us to live up our Christian life. We humbly pleading for your mercy to forgive us where we have often been lazy and failure to make the best use of the grace bestowed upon us. Have mercy on us, Lord and help us in our weakness.
Respond: Lord, please help us
- Lead: We thank You Lord, for You have blessed us tonight to gather and reunite to celebrate as family. We also remember those broken families and homeless people. Lord, show them your mercy so that they may receive the help and charity from others and may their hearts be filled with your peace and joy.
Respond: Lord, graciously hear us
(May add in other petition)
Concluding prayer ✝️
Almighty and merciful God, we thank You for all your graces and protections given to us in the past one year and as well as your blessing for having us gather together here as family to celebrate the eve of the new year. Please teach us to cherish the beautiful moment united as family and to be in communion with one another and in harmony thru sincere love. As the old year ends and new year begins, we ask for your help to get rid off all our bad habits, set new goal and lead us each step into the new year. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
New Year Blessing 🍊
Parents may bless their children and vice versa and may follow with giving angpow, tea ceremony, asking forgiveness from each other, etc according to your preference.