Fourth Sunday in Advent

O Lord, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of Thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

There is little I would wish to add to this most excellent of prayers, which is about the immanence of Our Lord at the time of the imminence of the nativity celebrations. Save perhaps I should explain to a modern audience the use of the word 'satisfaction', which is defined in the 31st Article of the church in the following phrase: "The offering of Christ once made is the perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual..."

WEG