Reflection for December 4

Commentary on the Advent Collect
The striking antitheses [within the Advent collect] are remarkable: cast away darkness, put on the light; mortal life, life immortal; great humility, glorious majesty. The word “now” is crucial: remembering the first advent and looking toward the second, we are now, in this time, to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Marion J. Hatchett, Commentary on the American Prayer Book).