Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent
The Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent is a prayer appointed in the Book of Common Prayer for the third Sunday of the Advent season. In the classical Prayer Book tradition it connects the preaching of John the Baptist with the ministry of the Church, asking that ordained ministers may prepare Christ's way by calling the disobedient to wisdom and readiness for judgment. The collect is a concise example of Anglican Advent theology: remembrance of Christ's first coming, preparation for his second coming, and the pastoral work of repentance within the visible Church.
Text and Prayer Book Setting
In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the collect addresses Christ as the one who, at his first coming, sent his messenger to prepare his way. It then petitions that the "ministers and stewards" of his mysteries may likewise prepare his way, so that at his second coming the people may be found acceptable before him.[1] The wording draws together the Advent Gospel emphasis on John the Baptist and the ecclesial ministry of preaching, discipline, and sacramental stewardship.
The collect belongs to the set of seasonal collects that shape the Church's public prayer from Advent through Epiphany. Like other Prayer Book collects, it has a compact structure: an address to God, a relative clause recalling divine action, a petition, a desired effect, and a concluding doxological formula. Its position in Advent gives it a transitional character. The first two Sundays of Advent emphasize the coming of Christ and the authority of Scripture; the third Sunday turns attention to the herald who prepares the way.
Biblical and Theological Themes
The collect is rooted in biblical language associated with John the Baptist, especially the call to prepare the way of the Lord and the description of a people made ready for divine visitation. Its phrase about turning "the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just" echoes the language used in the angelic announcement of John's mission in the Gospel according to Luke.[2] The prayer therefore reads John's ministry not merely as an event in the past, but as a pattern for the Church's continuing proclamation.
A notable theological feature is its direct address to Christ. Many collects are addressed to the Father through the Son, but this prayer speaks to Christ as the Lord who came in humility and will come again in judgment. This gives the prayer a strongly christological focus. The same Christ who sent the Baptist is asked to bless the ministry of those who serve in his Church.
The reference to "ministers and stewards of thy mysteries" reflects a classical Anglican understanding of ordained ministry. The phrase suggests that clergy do not possess the mysteries of God as private property, but administer what belongs to Christ. In this context, ministry is ordered toward repentance, instruction, and preparation, rather than self-display or institutional maintenance.
Liturgical Use and Reception
In Anglican worship, the collect is traditionally used at Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Holy Communion on the Third Sunday in Advent, according to the rubrics of the Prayer Book calendar. Its themes often align with the appointed readings and sermons for the day, especially where John the Baptist is presented as preacher, witness, and forerunner.
The collect has also influenced the tone of Advent preaching. By praying for ministers to prepare Christ's way, the congregation is reminded that Advent is not only a season of expectation but also a season of correction and readiness. The prayer's emphasis on ordained ministry does not exclude the whole Church; rather, it frames the Church's corporate preparation around the public ministry of the Word and sacraments.
In later Anglican revisions, Advent propers have sometimes been reorganized or supplemented, but the classical collect remains widely recognized among Prayer Book Anglicans. It is often valued for holding together pastoral ministry and eschatology: the immediate work of preaching and shepherding is placed in the light of Christ's promised return.