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Let us pray (in silence) [that God’s coming casts light into our hearts]
Incline your ear, O Lord, [or Incline your ear, O God,]
to our pleading,
and by the grace of your coming to us
enlighten the darkness of our hearts,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
who is alive with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
This is part of my reworking collects with history and commentary.
This is a collect in the Gregorian Sacramentary (135). It is in the Sarum Missal as the collect for Advent 3, and remained in the Roman Rite in that position through to the 1962 Missal, only losing that placing following the reforms of Vatican II. This collect is:
Aurem tuam, quaesumus, Domine, precibus nostris accommoda:
et mentis nostrae tenebras, gratia tuae visitationis illustra…
This is a collect shared by Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and others. Advent 3 has John the Baptist as a strong thread, the one who was not the light, but came to testify to the light. We cannot of ourselves, darkness cannot of itself, eliminate darkness, but light shining, by the very act of shining, removes darkness.
Click the link for my commentary for the collect for Advent 3.
Advent 3 – reflection from the collect/opening prayer (used by BCP TEC and others)
Advent 3 – reflection from the collect/opening prayer (used by CofE Common Worship and others)
The Third Sunday of Advent is often referred to as Gaudete Sunday (colour Rose).
Remember: The Gloria (“Glory to God in the highest..”) is not used.
Don’t forget the Online Chapel with lots of resources of prayers and readings and reflections – many changing daily.
Advent badges to put on your blog or website
Many people like, from time to time, to add a badge to their website or blog. If you like the idea – send your friends the URL of this blog post.
The HTML for adding the above badge to your blog or website is:
Other Resources
Original, Southern Hemisphere Advent collects
An outline example and resources for an Advent Eucharist
Advent in the Southern Hemisphere
image: John the Baptist from Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist and a Saint by Giovanni Bellini (1500-1504)
In the comments below, please continue adding quality Advent resources and ideas.
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Hi Bosco,
You were recommended as some one who might have a Mass/worship service narrative, that helps people understand each part of the worship; it’s symbolic representation of our lives 24/7, and the telling of the overview of God’s plan each week, through the Eucharist, etc (like the recap at the end before dismissal of the p476 liturgy… I could write from scratch, but suspect you have a well trodden tool already!
Thanks, Michael. I’m not really sure what you are asking for – possibly a teaching series going through the Eucharist in slow motion. My (free online) book Celebrating Eucharist is used in parishes for this. I wonder whether my recent talk on the Eucharist (with its notes) is also the sort of thing you are looking for. Then, for people, there’s the longer, more general talk Some Thoughts on Liturgy. Sorry if I’ve been little help. If you do produce something different and find it useful, please do share a link to it here. Advent blessings.