Christ the King (Sunday next before Advent)

The Common Worship lectionary readings for Christ the King (Sunday next before Advent) in Year A, the liturgical colour, and what changes in the order of service.

Year A · Ordinary Time · red

Year AOrdinary Timered

The readings

This Sunday is a Proper, so the Old Testament reading and psalm come in two tracks. Choose one and stay with it for the season — the continuous track reads a book straight through week by week; the related track picks an Old Testament reading that speaks to the Gospel.

Citations follow the Revised Common Lectionary as used in the Church of England's Common Worship principal service lectionary. Verse numbering can differ very slightly between Bible translations.

The liturgical colour

Red for the Spirit and for blood: Pentecost, Passiontide, and the feasts of martyrs. On this Sunday the colour is red.

What changes in the service

The standard shape: Gloria and Creed included, nothing seasonal displacing them.

In SundayHQ this is the ordinary template shape. You set your order of service once; when the season turns, one click applies the seasonal change and leaves the rest of your parish's own wording alone.

Hymns that fit these readings

Suggestions matched to the readings above, each with the reason it was chosen:

• Opening — Crown him with many crowns Diademata; the crowning of the year
• Gradual — The kingdom of God is justice and joy The sheep and the goats: the King met in the least of these
• Offertory — Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Truro; the reign that has no end
• Communion — Alleluia, sing to Jesus The King who is also the priest and the victim
• Final — Rejoice! the Lord is King Gopsal; the last Sunday, sent out rejoicing

When it next falls

Year A comes round every three years. The date moves because the whole calendar hangs off Easter.

The same Sunday in the other years

Questions