Readings for the First Sunday of Advent – 30th November 2025

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 2, verses 1 to 5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest

of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.

Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may

walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans, chapter 13, verses 11 to 14

Brothers and sisters, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to

wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;

the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness

and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and

drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify

its desires.

A reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 36 to 44

Jesus said to his disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the

angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so

will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood they were

eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the

ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so, too, will

be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and

one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one

will be left. Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is

coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the

night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his

house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is

coming at an hour you do not expect.

Second Collect

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