Lighten our darkness,
we beseech thee, O Lord;
and by thy great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of thy only Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
ANGLICAN ANCIENT LATIN; BCP 1549
The Collect for Aid Against All Perils
Also known as Lighten Our Darkness ยท Evening Prayer Collect Against Perils
About this prayer
The Collect for Aid Against All Perils is one of the three collects appointed for Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer. It is said after the fixed canticles and creeds of Evening Prayer, as darkness falls. The prayer asks God to lighten the darkness by the light of Christ and to defend the worshippers from all perils and dangers of the night. It draws on the ancient Christian symbolism of Christ as the light of the world coming against the darkness, and on the practical vulnerability of nighttime in an era before reliable lighting or security. The opening petition, 'Lighten our darkness,' has become one of the most recognized phrases in the BCP tradition.
When it's said
The Collect for Aid Against All Perils is said at Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, as the second of the three evening collects. It is said as darkness falls or in the early evening hours. It is also used as a private bedtime prayer and as a prayer in any situation of danger or fear.
Notes on the text
The brevity of this collect is notable even by BCP standards: it is one of the shortest in the Prayer Book. The phrase 'lighten our darkness' operates on two levels: the literal darkness of night and the spiritual darkness of sin and ignorance. The request is addressed to God but grounded in Christ, ending 'for the love of thy only Son.'
Source
Derived from an ancient Latin collect. English translation by Thomas Cranmer for the Book of Common Prayer, 1549; 1662 form used here. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.