Collect, Readings and Prayers. Advent 2. 7th December 2025
Collect
O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power
and come among us,
and with great might succour us;
that whereas, through our sins and wickedness
we are grievously hindered
in running the race that is set before us,
your bountiful grace and mercy
may speedily help and deliver us;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory, now and for ever.
Readings
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Peaceful Kingdom
11 1A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Romans 15:4-13
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel for Jews and Gentiles Alike
7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
and sing praises to your name’;
10 and again he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
11 and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him’;
12 and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:1-12
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
3 1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’[a] 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.”’
4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Prayers
- Our Father, on this Second Sunday in Advent, we pray that you will Illuminate our hearts with hope, peace, and joy as we prepare for the coming of Christ. Strengthen our spirits to share love and kindness, and guide us on our journey of faith. Amen.
- Father, we humbly come before You, seeking unity and peace within our families and the various communities of which we form part.
May Your love bind us together, dissolving divisions and fostering understanding among all.
Grant us the wisdom to embrace our differences and the courage to stand for harmony.
Let Your spirit of reconciliation flow through us, creating a sanctuary of peace where all can thrive. Amen.
- Eternal God, in the darkness of winter, and in the darkness of our broken world, the light of Jesus shines to give us courage and hope. Light up our hearts as we praise you and our minds as we listen to your word. Give strength we pray to those who seek to bring your light into the dark places of our world. Bless those who are called upon to fight as they serve in armies in conflict zones. Give wisdom to those politicians and world leaders who negotiate to bring about reconciliation and at this moment in time we pray with Ukraine in particular in mind that any settlement reached may be just and fair and leave Ukraine in a position of security and not open to further invasion. Strengthen all of those who work to protect the vulnerable or show compassion to those whose lives have been subject to physical and spiritual distress and those whose lives have been torn apart by war. Amen
- A prayer for those alone this Christmas
Loving God, you created and fashioned us,
you know us and search us out,
you abide with us through light and dark.
We pray that you will b with those this Christmas,
who find themselves alone.
Help them to know your presence with them.
Help them all to hear the good news of the angels,
and to reflect on the light that shines in the darkness. Amen
- Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal the joy right out of our stockings. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!” We need your peace, Jesus. We confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true? In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Advent, make it real in our hearts. reveal yourself once again to us and grant us your rest and peace. Amen
- Father of mercies and God of all comfort, we pray for those in distress and despair at this time, those who cannot cope with the stresses and pressures of life. May we be willing and able to see them and come to their aid. We ask that you relieve those who suffer from depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses. May those who are suffering be directed to the most effective sources of help, support and treatment appropriate for their needs and be able to gain speedy access to them. Look upon them with the eyes of your mercy; comfort them with a sense of your goodness;; and give them patience in their affliction. We pray that they may be fully restored to health, and enabled to lead fruitful and fulfilling lives. Amen.
- We remember all who are sick, those in hospital and those who are housebound and especially those who have no one to care for them. We pray too for those displaced by war and natural disasters, the homeless and the poorest in society. May our care and compassion lighten their distress and suffering. Come to them Lord and grant them the solace of your presence and the healing of your grace. Amen.
- We are sent In the name of the Father of the Poor; in the name of the Son of Justice; in the name of the Spirit of Love; to live God's promise that transforms and makes us new; to be signs of hope to all who struggle for a new world of justice & peace. Hear our humble prayers that we may serve you in holiness and faith and give voice to your presence among us until the day of the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.