Lent-Day One, Ash Wednesday

Lent, Day One (Ash Wednesday)

A Promise of Lent
I have slowly become aware of what my Lenten practice might be. It might be the development of some type of "holy indifference" toward the many small rejections I am subject to, and a growing attachment to The Lord an his passion.

I am constantly surprised at how hard it s for me to deal with the little rejections people inflict on each other day by day.... This atmosphere often leaves me with a feeling of being rejected and left alone. When I swallow those rejections, I get quickly depressed and lonely; then I am n danger of becoming resentful....

But maybe all of this is the other side of a deep mystery, the mystery that we have no lasting dwelling place on this earth and that only God loves us the way we desire to be loved. Maybe all these small rejections are reminders that I am a traveler on the way to a sacred place where God holds me in the palm of his hand.

    Henri J.M. Nouwen, Gracias! A Latin American Journal, pg 2


5“Through all your days, son, keep the Lord in mind, and do not seek to sin or to transgress the commandments. Perform righteous deeds all the days of your life, and do not tread the paths of wickedness. 6^b For those who act with fidelity, all who practice righteousness, will prosper in their affairs.^*
7“Give alms from your possessions. Do not turn your face away from any of the poor, so that God’s face will not be turned away from you.^c 8Give in proportion to what you own. If you have great wealth, give alms out of your abundance; if you have but little, do not be afraid to give alms even of that little. 9You will be storing up a goodly treasure for yourself against the day of adversity.^d 10For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps one from entering into Darkness. 11Almsgiving is a worthy offering in the sight of the Most High for all who practice it. Tobit 4:5-11


PRAYER
Lord, our Savior, let me heed the example of total giving that you demonstrated when you died on the cross for my sins. I pray that my pale imitation of your sacrifice during this Lent may be counted on my behalf "against the day of necessity."

LENTEN ACTION
Just for today, lay up a "good treasure" for yourself by ignoring your selfish wants and needs and choosing instead to seek and do our Lord's will, both at home and at work. Let your rule of thumb be placing the good of others above your own.


^{From the Book of Common Prayer}
 

On this day, the Celebrant begins the liturgy with the Salutation and the Collect of the Day.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have

made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and

make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily

lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,

may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission

and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives

and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever

and ever. Amen.

Old Testament Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, or Isaiah 58:1-12

Psalm 103, or 103:8-14

Epistle 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

After the Sermon, all stand, and the Celebrant or Minister appointed

invites the people to the observance of a holy Lent, saying

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great

devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and

it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a

season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the

observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;

by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and

meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.

Silence is then kept for a time, all kneeling.

If ashes are to be imposed, the Celebrant says the following prayer

Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

The ashes are imposed with the following words

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

The following Psalm is then sung or said

Psalm 51 Miserere mei, Deus

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your

loving-kindness; *

in your great compassion blot out my offenses.

2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness *

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, *

and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you only have I sinned *

and done what is evil in your sight.

5 And so you are justified when you speak *

and upright in your judgment

6 Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *

a sinner from my mother's womb.

7 For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *

and will make me understand wisdom secretly.

8 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;

wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.

9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, *

that the body you have broken may rejoice.

10 Hide your face from my sins *

and blot out all my iniquities.

11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, *

and renew a right spirit within me.

12 Cast me not away from your presence *

and take not your holy Spirit from me.

13 Give me the joy of your saving help again *

and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

14 I shall teach your ways to the wicked, *

and sinners shall return to you.

15 Deliver me from death, O God, *

and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness,

O God of my salvation.

16 Open my lips, O Lord, *

and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

17 Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice; *

but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.

18 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Litany of Penitence

The Celebrant and People together, all kneeling

Most holy and merciful Father:

We confess to you and to one another,

and to the whole communion of saints

in heaven and on earth,

that we have sinned by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed;

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

The Celebrant continues

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and

strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We

have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.

Have mercy on us, Lord.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us.

We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved

your Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on us, Lord.

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the

pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation

of other people,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those

more fortunate than ourselves,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and

our dishonesty in daily life and work,

We confess to you, Lord.

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to

commend the faith that is in us,

We confess to you, Lord.

Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done:

for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our

indifference to injustice and cruelty,

Accept our repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our

neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those

who differ from us,

Accept our repentance, Lord.

For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of

concern for those who come after us,

Accept our repentance, Lord.

Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;

Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.

Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,

That we may show forth your glory in the world.

By the cross and passion of your Son our Lord,

Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

The Bishop, if present, or the Priest, stands and, facing the people, says

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who

desires not the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn

from their wickedness and live, has given power and

commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to

his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of

their sins. He pardons and absolves all those who truly

repent, and with sincere hearts believe his holy Gospel.

Therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his

Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do on

this day, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure

and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.