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Leigh Hatts  

Christ the King & Stir up

A model of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral which is dedicated to Christ the King

This Sunday completes the Christian year.

Christ the King Sunday 24 November is the climax of the year during which we have relived Christ’s birth, ministry, persecution, resurrection and ascension.

So on Sunday we look back with Christ our king as we begin to look forward yet again to Advent next week.

It is not Christmas yet but the the first line of the old 6th-century collect for this Sunday has led to the popular name Stir Up Sunday which hints at Christmas.

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people;
that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

It suggested that on this Sunday we should stir the Christmas pudding mixture.

The Stir up collect is now heard as the post communion prayer in most Anglican churches and as the weekday collect on Wednesday to Friday this week in Roman Catholic churches.

Stir up, the translation of Excita, is also the opening of the Easter Vigil collect.