Advent Sunday prayer:

O Lord our God, make us watchful and keep us faithful as we await the coming of your Son our Lord; that, when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.</font>

Reflection

Advent is a season of expectation and preparation; a season of hope and of joy. Part of the expectation and the preparation is, of course, for Christmas; preparing ourselves for the joy of remembering not just Jesus born a baby, but God come down to live on earth. Another part of the preparation is shown in the prayer: Jesus is coming again. We have been promised that; are we ready?

<span style="font-size: 1rem;">For both of these wonderful events – Christmas and Jesus coming again – there is great hope and joy. Right now though, with all the news about Covid variants, it can be hard to feel hope and joy! But maybe if we can say and mean the Aramaic word, </span>“Maranatha” <span style="font-size: 1rem;">– </span>“Our Lord, come”<span style="font-size: 1rem;">….come into my life - then, despite the anxieties we will know the hope and joy of Jesus Christ in our daily lives; and we can then say </span>“Amen”<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> to this prayer.</span>

Revd David