ASH WEDNESDAY
Return to the Lord,
your God
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Lord, you are merciful to all, and hate nothing you have created. You overlook
the sins of men to bring them to repentance. You are the Lord our God (Wis
11:24-25.27).
INTRODUCTION
Today we begin the season of lent. Lent is an old English word meaning
“springtime”, and with our celebration today we are called to a springtime in
the Church, namely, a time of softening the ground by digging and ploughing,
uprooting and cleaning up our hearts by God’s word and his grace. Lent is the
time of our renewal through the sacraments, preparing us to the celebration of
our Passover feast of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. Today we express
our need for renewal and God’s mercy by taking part in an moving public act of
penitence, beseeching God for the grace to use with profit the ‘favourable time’
of reconciliation.
(The Penitential Rite and Gloria are omitted.)
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray. Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the
discipline of Lent, make this season holy by our self-denial. Grant this...
FIRST READING
(The prophet Joel gives us two important characteristics of penance. First, it
is to be applied not to outward practices but to the heart, and second, it
concerns all persons without exception.)
A reading from the Book of Joel (2:12-18)
“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting,
with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. Who knows whether he will
not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a
drink offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a
fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation;
assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the
bridegroom leave his room, and bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the
altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare thy
people, O Lord, and make not thy heritage a reproach, a byword among the
nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” Then the
Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (50)
Response : Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me. Against you, you
alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.
A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast
me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervour sustain me. O Lord,
open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.
SECOND READING
(In St Paul’s letter, we are told that God clearly expects us to accept the
graces of this season so that we can draw closer to him.)
A reading from the Second Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (5:20–6:2)
Brethren: We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We
beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him
to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of
God. Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of
God in vain. For he says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and
helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold,
now is the day of salvation.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION Ps 50:12
A pure heart create for me, O God, and give me again the joy of your help.
GOSPEL
(Jesus stresses the inner dimensions of our external penance.)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (6:1-6,16-18)
Jesus said to His disciples: “Beware of practising your piety before men in
order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who
is in heaven.
Thus when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in
the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say
to you, they have their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by
men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into
your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure
their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they
have their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that
your fasting may not be seen by men but your Father who is in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord
BLESSING AND GIVING OF ASHES
After the homily the priest joins his hands and says:
Cel: Dear friends in Christ, let us ask our Father to bless these ashes which we
will use as the mark of our repentance.
(Silent prayer)
Lord, bless the sinner who asks your forgiveness and bless + all those who
receive these ashes. May they keep this Lenten season in preparation for the joy
of Easter. We ask this….
He sprinkles the ashes with holy water in silence.
The priest then places ashes on those who come forward, saying to each:
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
or
Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return.
Meanwhile some appropriate songs are sung, like the following:
Remember man,
Dust indeed you are
And it is to dust you shall return.
1. Let us rent our hearts not our garments
And return to the Lord our God.
For gracious and merciful is He.
2. Spare your people O Lord;
Give heed to the cry of your priests
Do not silence those who sing your praises.
3. Let us amend our ways for the better
And hasten the time of repentance
For the day of the Lord is near.
4. Listen to our prayer, have mercy
On the people you claim for your own.
The people have sinned against you.
5. O God our Saviour, help us.
Forgive us our sins, O Lord,
For the sake of the glory of your name.
OR from With Joyful Lips :
Nos. G-17, G-19, G-25, G-41
After the giving of ashes the priest washes his hands; the rite concludes with
the Prayer of the Faithful. The Profession of Faith is not said.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel: Dear sisters and brothers, we have listened to God’s message and have
accepted the ashes with humble and contrite hearts, as a sign of our
determination to abandon sin and return to God. Let us now ask for God’s help
saying:
Response : Have mercy on us and hear our prayer.
1. We pray that all Christians during this Lent may abandon their spiritual
laziness and indifference and use this opportunity for their personal renewal
and charitable works, let us pray to the Lord.
2. We pray that the families might come together to a more intense time of
prayer and diligent attentiveness to the Word of God during this season of
grace, let us pray…
3. We pray that we may grow in charity by generously sharing with the poor and
the less privileged the material blessings you have given us, let us pray…
4. We pray you to touch with your grace of conversion and renewal all those who
live in sin and under the bondage of Satan, let us pray…
(Pray for personal/local needs)
Cel: Lord our God, help us all to come back to you with humble hearts and
contrite spirits. Help us to abandon our sinful ways and experience your love
and mercy. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, help us to resist temptation by our lenten works of charity and penance.
By this sacrifice may we be prepared to celebrate the death and resurrection of
Christ our Saviour and be cleansed from sin and renewed in spirit. We ask
this...
PREFACE (P 8)
Father all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each year you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the
paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed. You give us a spirit of loving
reverence for you, our Father, and of willing service to our neighbour.
As we recall the great events that gave us a new life in Christ, you bring the
image of your Son to perfection within us.
Now, with angels and archangels, and the whole company of heaven, we sing the
unending hymn of your praise:
All: Holy, holy, holy...
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
The man who meditates day and night on the law of the Lord will yield fruit in
due season.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord, through this communion may our lenten penance give you glory and bring us
your protection. We ask this...
