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.
6b 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.
