Collect for the first Sunday in Advent
Collect for the first Sunday in Advent (BCP):
Almighty God,
give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness,
and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life,
in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty,
to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,
now and ever. Amen.
This first Advent collect reminds us of the vast difference between Christ's first coming in humility and his return in glorious majesty. He will return in judgment and therefore we need to be ready. So we pray to God for grace to put off our sinful deeds and put on the armour of light which protects us from the world, the flesh and the devil. Only by doing so will we rise to eternal life in Christ. There is a call to action implicit in this prayer: live as the Christian you are in order to be ready for the return of Christ.
Take some time this week to reflect on the 'works of darkness' which need casting out of your own life. Ask God for grace to do this and for the armour to resist them.