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.
ANGLICAN ANCIENT LATIN; BCP 1549
The Collect for Advent Sunday
Also known as Almighty God, Give Us Grace ยท First Sunday in Advent Collect
About this prayer
The Collect for Advent Sunday is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent, the Sunday nearest November 30 (St. Andrew's Day), which opens the Christian liturgical year. Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas and of expectation of Christ's return. The collect asks for grace to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, echoing Romans 13:12, the Epistle appointed for Advent Sunday in the BCP. It is one of the most memorable and frequently quoted collects in the Anglican tradition, combining the urgency of moral reform with the eschatological expectation of Christ's return. The prayer was translated by Thomas Cranmer from an ancient Latin collect and has remained in continuous use in Anglican worship since 1549.
When it's said
The Collect for Advent Sunday is said at Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the Eucharist on the First Sunday of Advent and throughout Advent Week. It marks the beginning of the new liturgical year in the Anglican and Catholic calendars. It is one of the best-known seasonal collects in the BCP tradition.
Notes on the text
The image of casting off works of darkness and putting on the armor of light comes from Romans 13:12, which is the Epistle reading appointed for Advent Sunday in the BCP. 'The quick and the dead' uses 'quick' in its older English sense of the living. The collect holds two comings of Christ together: the first coming in humility at the Incarnation and the second coming in glory at the Last Judgment.
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.