Collect for Advent Sunday

Almighty God

give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light,

now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility:

that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty

to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal;

through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen

Advent Begins Sunday 27th November 2011
The start of the Christmas season

Advent is a term from the Latin word 'adventus' which means "Coming".

It is a time of waiting for the arrival of Christmas, the coming of Jesus to earth when he was born as a baby at Bethlehem about two thousand years ago.

It is also the time that we begin to prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ, in the Glory of God the Father

What is Advent?

Advent is the new year of the Christian Church and the church season that leads to Christmas Day. Advent is a time of joy tinged with penance.

Joy, because we can imagine nothing more sweet than the Christ Child and His Mother Mary's bliss at His coming to light.

Penance because we must strive to be properly disposed to receive so great a gift of His presence.

In the millennial tradition of the Church, we faithful have done penance before great feasts. Christmas and Easter each have their penitential seasons in anticipation, Advent and Lent. This is a kind of liturgical fast, which makes the joy and celebration of Christmas all that much more powerful by the contrast of the lean and muted season of Advent. Advent is a time of great joy, because we look forward to the beautiful feast of the Nativity, but it is joy stitched through with sombre and focused spiritual preparation by doing penance

Clergy typically wear royal purple or royal blue vestments during Advent. Many churches also include an advent wreath (sometimes called an Advent ring or crown) in their Advent services.

 When does Advent start?

Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to 30th November (St. Andrew's Day) and lasts until midnight on Christmas Eve. Advent Sunday is the first of the four Sundays before the 25th December.

What happens during Advent?

During the season of Advent, Christians across the world prepare for the celebration of the arrival of the Lord into the world through the birth of his Son Jesus Christ. Advent is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness. It is also a time to look forward to when Jesus will come a second time.

The beginning of Advent is when the preparations for Christmas really begin - gifts are chosen and wrapped, carols sung, cards are written and posted and houses decorated.

History of Advent

In the 5th Century, Advent began on 11 November (St Martin's Day) and took the form of a six week fast leading to Christmas. During the 6th century, Advent was reduced to its current length and later the fasting was dropped, although the liturgy of the services still reflect the "fasting" by omission of the Gloria and its replacement with the Kyrie (Lord have mercy).