It’s the last Sunday of the season – Advent starts in one more week! A lot of us are probably celebrating “Christ the King Sunday” today, so I thought I’d drop a quick reminder here before we misrepresent our own tradition. The traditional prayer for this Sunday anticipates the tone of Advent:
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The modern prayer for this Sunday, now called “Christ the King” but perhaps more subtly and appropriately “Christ the Judge”, also prepares us for Advent quite well:
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
If you want to know more about Christ the King as an observance, here are some links:
- a bit of history on Christ the King
- traditional collect & lessons for the last Sunday before Advent
- a commentary on the last Sunday before Advent
The Saint Aelfric Customary 