Collects and Post Communions for Sundays, Principal Holy Days and Festivals Notes 1 Collects and Post Communions for Lesser Festivals and Special Occasions, with Commons of the Saints, are published in the President’s edition of Common Worship. 2 Normally on any occasion only one Collect is used. 3 The Collect for each Sunday is used on the following weekdays, except where other provision is made. 4 At Evening Prayer on Saturdays other than Easter Eve, Christmas Eve or Principal Feasts or Festivals, the Collect appointed for the ensuing Sunday shall be used.When Evening Prayer on the day before a Festival makes use of the lessons relating to that Festival, the Collect of that Festival shall be used. 5 Where a Collect ends ‘Through Jesus Christ … now and for ever’, the minister may use the shorter ending, ‘Through Jesus Christ our Lord’, to which the people respond ‘Amen’, and omit the longer Trinitarian ending. The longer ending is to be preferred at Holy Communion. For Rules, see page 525. Contents Collects and Post Communions for the Seasons 376 Collects and Post Communions for Festivals 427 Collect and Post Communion for a Special Occasion (Harvest Thanksgiving) 447 For Collects and Post Communions in Traditional Language, see page 448. Collects and Post Communions 375 ¶ Advent The First Sunday of Advent Purple The Second Sunday of Advent Purple Collect Collect Almighty God, O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and come among us, and to put on the armour of light, and with great might succour us; now in the time of this mortal life, that whereas, through our sins and wickedness in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; we are grievously hindered that on the last day, in running the race that is set before us, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty your bountiful grace and mercy to judge the living and the dead, may speedily help and deliver us; we may rise to the life immortal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, through him who is alive and reigns with you, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory, now and for ever. one God, now and for ever. Post Communion This Collect may be used as the Post Communion on any day from the Second Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve instead of the Father in heaven, Post Communion provided. who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge: Post Communion give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming O Lord our God, that, when he comes again, make us watchful and keep us faithful we may be ready to greet him as we await the coming of your Son our Lord; with joyful love and firm faith; that, when he shall appear, through Jesus Christ our Lord. he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 376 Collects and Post Communions Advent 377 The Third Sunday of Advent Purple Post Communion Heavenly Father, Collect who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary O Lord Jesus Christ, to be the mother of the promised saviour: who at your first coming sent your messenger fill us your servants with your grace, to prepare your way before you: that in all things we may embrace your holy will grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries and with her rejoice in your salvation; may likewise so prepare and make ready your way through Jesus Christ our Lord. by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; 24 December Christmas Eve Purple for you are alive and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Collect one God, now and for ever. Almighty God, you make us glad with the yearly remembrance Post Communion of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ: We give you thanks, O Lord, for these heavenly gifts; grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer, kindle in us the fire of your Spirit so we may with sure confidence behold him that when your Christ comes again when he shall come to be our judge; we may shine as lights before his face; who is alive and reigns with you, who is alive and reigns now and for ever. in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. The Fourth Sunday of Advent Purple Post Communion This provision is not used on weekdays after 23 December. Eternal God, for whom we wait, you have fed us with the bread of eternal life: Collect keep us ever watchful, that we may be ready to stand before the Son of man, God our redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord. who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 378 Collects and Post Communions Advent 379 ¶ Christmas 25 December Christmas Day Gold or Principal Feast White Collect 25 December Christmas Night Gold or Principal Feast White Almighty God, Collect you have given us your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him Eternal God, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: who made this most holy night grant that we, who have been born again to shine with the brightness of your one true light: and made your children by adoption and grace, bring us, who have known the revelation of that light on earth, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; to see the radiance of your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. one God, now and for ever. Post Communion Post Communion God our Father, God our Father, whose Word has come among us in this night you have made known to us again in the Holy Child of Bethlehem: the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: may the light of faith illumine our hearts confirm our faith and fix our eyes on him and shine in our words and deeds; until the day dawns through him who is Christ the Lord. and Christ the Morning Star rises in our hearts. To him be glory both now and for ever. The First Sunday of Christmas White This provision is not used on weekdays after 5 January. Collect Almighty God, who wonderfully created us in your own image and yet more wonderfully restored us through your Son Jesus Christ: grant that, as he came to share in our humanity, so we may share the life of his divinity; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 380 Collects and Post Communions Christmas 381 Post Communion ¶ Epiphany Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home: 6 January The Epiphany Gold or help your Church to live as one family, Principal Feast White united in love and obedience, and bring us all at last to our home in heaven; Collect through Jesus Christ our Lord. O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: The Second Sunday of Christmas White mercifully grant that we, This provision is not used on weekdays after 5 January. who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; Collect through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, Almighty God, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the birth of your Son one God, now and for ever. you have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word, and shown us the fullness of your love: Post Communion help us to walk in his light and dwell in his love that we may know the fullness of his joy; Lord God, who is alive and reigns with you, the bright splendour whom the nations seek: in the unity of the Holy Spirit, may we who with the wise men have been drawn by your light one God, now and for ever. discern the glory of your presence in your Son, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Post Communion All praise to you, The Baptism of Christ Gold or almighty God and heavenly king, The First Sunday of Epiphany White who sent your Son into the world to take our nature upon him Collect and to be born of a pure virgin: grant that, as we are born again in him, Eternal Father, so he may continually dwell in us who at the baptism of Jesus and reign on earth as he reigns in heaven, revealed him to be your Son, now and for ever. anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.