Anglican In Wilson

Here’s a bit from our Book of Common Prayer for the season of Advent:

The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect
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 Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in
Advent, until Christmas Day.

Advent is primarily about instilling a longing in the hearts of Christians for the Coming of Christ and, as the carol says “let(ting) every heart prepare Him room”. We light extra candles, we pray extra prayers, we identify the areas of darkness within and around us and cry out to the Lord for his drawing night as Light and Hope. We even intercede in such ways that he can be present to the world through us as Light and Hope. All of this preparation makes our Christmas celebration a truer reception of Christ into our lives and world. We really do strain our spiritual eyes for him during Advent so that at Christmas we truly do behold him.

Each day during Advent,  I challenge you, pray this prayer along with the Advent collect for that new week. Pray it each day from a place deeper within your heart until you find that place of longing for Christ and his great Day, his Coming. Pray it with all of the saints of heaven and earth and on behalf of those who do not yet know for Whom they, with all creation, truly long. Amen.