Mass for Ash Wednesday

The President introduces the service

You are merciful to all, O Lord,

and despise nothing you have made.

You overlook people’s sins, to bring them to repentance,

and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God.

 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

 

Grace, mercy and peace

from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you

and also with you.

 

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Introduction

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

since early days Christians have observed with great devotion

the time of our Lord’s passion and resurrection

and prepared for this by a season of penitence and fasting.

 

By carefully keeping these days,

Christians take to heart the call to repentance

and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel,

and so grow in faith and in devotion to our Lord.

 

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.

 

Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

have mercy upon us.

 

The Collect

Let us pray for grace to keep Lent faithfully.

Silence is kept.

Almighty and everlasting God,

you hate nothing that you have made

and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:

create and make in us new and contrite hearts

that we, worthily lamenting our sins

and acknowledging our wretchedness,

may receive from you, the God of all mercy,

perfect remission and forgiveness;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

 

First Reading

A reading from the prophecy of Joel

 

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
   for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—
a day of darkness and gloom,
   a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
   a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
   nor will be again after them
   in ages to come.

Yet even now, says the Lord,
   return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
   rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
   for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
   and relents from punishing.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
   and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain-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 aged;
gather the children,
   even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
   and the bride her canopy.

Between the vestibule and the altar
   let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord,
   and do not make your heritage a mockery,
   a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
   “Where is their God?” ’

[Joel 2.1-2, 12-17]

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

 

The Gospel

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory

The lord is a great god,

O that today you would listen to his voice.

Harden not your hearts.

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory

 

Hear the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St John.

Glory to you, O Lord

 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’

[John 8.1-11]

This is the Gospel of The Lord

Praise to you O Christ

 

Reflection

 

THE LITURGY OF ASH WEDNESDAY

Self-examination and Repentance

 

Let us now call to mind our sin

and the infinite mercy of God.

 

God the Father,

have mercy upon us.

 

God the Son,

have mercy upon us.

 

God the Holy Spirit,

have mercy upon us.

 

Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,

have mercy upon us.

 

From all evil and mischief; from pride, vanity, and hypocrisy;

from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all evil intent,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

From sloth, worldliness and love of money;

from hardness of heart and contempt for your word and your laws,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

From sins of body and mind;

from the deceits of the world, the flesh and the devil,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

In all times of sorrow; in all times of joy;

in the hour of death, and at the day of judgement,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

By the mystery of your holy incarnation;

by your birth, childhood and obedience;

by your baptism, fasting and temptation,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

By your ministry in word and work;

by your mighty acts of power; and by your preaching of the kingdom,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

By your agony and trial;

by your cross and passion; and by your precious death and burial,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

By your mighty resurrection;

by your glorious ascension; and by your sending of the Holy Spirit,

good Lord, deliver us.

 

Give us true repentance;

forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our deliberate sins;

and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit

to amend our lives according to your holy word.

 

Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

have mercy upon us.

Silence is kept

Make our hearts clean, O God;

and renew a right spirit within us.

 

Father eternal, giver of light and grace,

we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,

in what we have thought,

in what we have said and done,

through ignorance, through weakness,

through our own deliberate fault.

We have wounded your love,

and marred your image in us.

We are sorry and ashamed,

and repent of all our sins.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

who died for us,

forgive us all that is past;

and lead us out from darkness

to walk as children of light. Amen.

 

The Imposition of Ashes

Dear friends in Christ, I invite you to receive these ashes as a sign of the spirit of penitence with which we shall keep this season of Lent.

 

God our Father,

you create us from the dust of the earth:

grant that these ashes may be for us

a sign of our penitence

and a symbol of our mortality;

for it is by your grace alone

that we receive eternal life

in Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Amen.

 

If you are following the service online,

place a small portion of the ashes on your head

as the following words are said.

 

The following words are used

 

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

Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.

 

God our Father,

the strength of all who put their trust in you,

mercifully accept our prayers;

and because, in our weakness,

we can do nothing good without you,

grant us the help of your grace,

that in keeping your commandments

we may please you, both in will and deed;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT

The Peace

Since we are justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has given us access to his grace.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

 

Offertory Hymn

Forty days and forty nights

Thou wast fasting in the wild;

Forty days and forty nights

Tempted, and yet undefiled.

 

Sunbeams scorching all the day,

Chilly dew drops nightly shed,

Prowling beasts about thy way,

Stones thy pillow, earth thy bed.

 

Let us thine endurance share

And from worldly joys abstain,

With thee watching unto prayer,

Strong with thee to suffer pain?

 

Then, if Satan vexing sore,

Flesh or spirit to assail,

Thou his vanquisher before,

Grant we may not faint nor fail!

 

So shall we have peace divine;

Holier gladness ours shall be.

'Round us, too, shall angels shine,

Such as ministered to thee.

 

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,

Ever constant by thy side,

That with thee we may appear

At the eternal Eastertide.

 

Prayer over the gifts

Merciful Father,

turn us from sin to faithfulness

and from disobedience to love,

and prepare us to celebrate

the death and resurrection of Christ our Saviour

who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

Amen.

 

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord be with you

and also with you.

 

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

 

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

 

It is indeed right and good

to give you thanks and praise,

almighty God and everlasting Father,

through Jesus Christ your Son.

 

For in these forty days

you lead us into the desert of repentance

that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline

we may grow in grace

and learn to be your people once again.

 

Through fasting, prayer and acts of service

you bring us back to your generous heart.

Through study of your holy word

you open our eyes to your presence in the world

and free our hands to welcome others

into the radiant splendour of your love.

 

As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast

with joyful hearts and minds

we bless you for your mercy

and join with saints and angels

for ever praising you and saying:

 

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory,

hosanna in the highest.

 

We praise and bless you, loving Father
through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey his command,
send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts
that broken bread and wine out-poured
may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends,
and taking bread, he praised you.
He broke the bread, shared it with them and said:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

 

When supper was ended he took a cup of wine.
Again he gave you thanks, shared it and said:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.

 

So, Father, as we remember all that Jesus did,
we plead with confidence his sacrifice

made once for all upon the cross.
Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death and resurrection
until he comes in glory.

 

Jesus Christ is Lord:

Lord, by your cross and resurrection

you have set us free.

You are the Saviour of the world.

 

Lord of all life,
help us to work together for that day
when your justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth,
and your kingdom comes.

 

Look with favour on your people,
gather us in your loving arms
and bring us with the Blessed Virgin Mary,

St Peter Prince of the Apostles, St Michael, St Nicholas, Stephen

and all the apostles, martyrs and saints
to be with you for ever at your table in heaven.

 

Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,
for ever and ever. 

Amen.

 

Trusting in the compassion of God,

let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father,

who art in heaven

hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come;

thy will be done;

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

 

When we eat this bread and drink this cup

We proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

 

Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us.

 

Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world,

have mercy on us.

 

Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world,

grant us peace.

 

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Blessed are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,

but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

 

Communion Antiphon

He who ponders the Law of the Lord day and night

will yield fruit in due season

 

Prayer after Communion

Almighty God,

you have given your only Son to be for us

both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life:

give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive

these his inestimable gifts,

and also daily endeavour

to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Father of all,

we give you thanks and praise,

that when we were still far off

you met us in your Son and brought us home.

Dying and living, he declared your love,

gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.

May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;

we who drink his cup bring life to others;

we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.

Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,

so we and all your children shall be free,

and the whole earth live to praise your name;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Final Hymn

Lead us, heav’nly Father, lead us

o'er the world's tempestuous sea;

guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,

for we have no help but thee;

yet possessing ev’ry blessing,

if our God our Father be.

 

Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us:

all our weakness thou dost know;

thou didst tread this earth before us,

thou didst feel its keenest woe;

self denying, death defying

thou to Calvary didst go.

 

Spirit of our God, descending,

fill our hearts with heavenly joy,

love with every passion blending,

pleasure that can never cloy:

thus provided, pardoned, guided,

nothing can our peace destroy.

 

The Dismissal Gospel

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

according to St Luke.

Glory to you, O Lord.

 

[Jesus asked] Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

[Luke 15.4-7]

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

 

The Blessing

The Lord be with you

And also with you

 

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness,

to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;

 

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always. Amen:

 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord

Thanks be to God