Liturgical Information
Ash Wednesday (ABC)
Liturgical Color: Violet
Themes: repentance, simplicity, sober reflection
Entrance Antiphon [Introit]:
You are merciful to all, O Lord
and despise nothing that you have made.
You overlook people's sins, to bring them to repentance,
and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God. See Wisdom 11:24-25,27 [Roman Missal]
Miseris omnium, Domine, et nihil odisti eorum quæ fecisti, dissimulans peccata hominum propter pænitentiam, et parcens illis: quia tu es Dominus Deus noster.
Ps. Miserere mei Deus, miserere mei: quoniam in te confidit anima mea. [Graduale Romanum, p.62]
Miseris omnium, Domine, et nihil odisti eorum quæ fecisti, dissimulans peccata hominum propter pænitentiam, et parcens illis: quia tu es Dominus Deus noster.
Ps. Miserere mei Deus, miserere mei: quoniam in te confidit anima mea. [Gregorian Missal, p.229]
Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei. [Graduale simplex, p.82]
Verses of Psalm 57 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.
Collect:
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting
this campaign of Christian ser- vice,
so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils
we may be armed with weapons of self-re - straint.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Ho-ly Spirit,
one God, for ev-er and ev-er.
A-men.
Lectionary Readings:
- Joel 2:12-18 [Rend your heart and not your garments. /v.13]
- Psalm 51:3-4 / 5-6 / 12-13 / 14,17 [R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
- II Corinthians 5:20 - 6:2 [Now is the the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. /v.2]
- Gospel Verse: Ps 95:8 [If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.]
- Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 [And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. /v.18]
See CNP's Book of Sung Gospels – 4th Edition
Antiphons during Distribution of Ashes:
Let us change our garments to sackcloth and ashes,
let us fast and weep before the Lord,
that our God, rich in mercy, might forgive us our sins. [Roman Missal]
— or —
Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord,
stand up between the porch and the altar and weep and cry out:
Spare, O Lord, spare your people;
do not close the mouths of those who sing your praise, O Lord. See Joel 2:17; Esther 4:17 [Roman Missal]
— or —
Blot out my transgressions, O Lord. Psalm 51:3 [Roman Missal]
These may be repeated after each verse of Psalm 51.
— or —
Responsory
Resp Let us correct our faults which we have committed in ignorance, let us not be taken unawares by the day of our death, looking in vain for leisure to repent.
Hear us, O Lord, and show us your mercy, for we have sinned against you.
Vs Help us, O God our Savior; for the sake of your name, O Lord, set us free.
Hear us, O Lord…
Immutemur habitu, in cinere et cilicio: ieiunemus, et ploremus ante Dominum: quia multum misericors est dimittere peccata nostra Deus noster. See Joel 2:13 [Graduale Romanum, p.65]
— or —
Iuxta vestibulum et altare plorabunt sacerdotes et levitæ ministri Domini, et dicent: Parce Domine, parce populo tuo: et ne dissipes pra calmantium ad te, Domine. See Joel 2:17; Esther 13:17 [Graduale Romanum, p.65]
— or —
Emendemus in melius, quæ ignoranter peccavimus: ne subito praeoccupati die mortis, quæramus spatium paenitentiae, et invenire non possimus.
Ps. Adiuva nos, Deus salutaris noster: et propter honorem nominis tui, Domine, libera nos. See Baruch 3:2; Ps 79:9 [Graduale Romanum, p.66]
Immutemur habitu, in cinere et cilicio: ieiunemus, et ploremus ante Dominum: quia multum misericors est dimittere peccata nostra Deus noster. See Joel 2:13 [Gregorian Missal, p.234]
— or —
Iuxta vestibulum et altare plorabunt sacerdotes et levitæ ministri Domini, et dicent: Parce Domine, parce populo tuo: et ne dissipes pra calmantium ad te, Domine. See Joel 2:17; Esther 13:17[Gregorian Missal, p.234]
— or —
Emendemus in melius, quæ ignoranter peccavimus: ne subito præoccupati die mortis, quæramus spatium paenitentiæ, et invenire non possimus.
Ps. Adiuva nos, Deus salutaris noster: et propter honorem nominis tui, Domine, libera nos. See Baruch 3:2; Ps 79:9 [Gregorian Missal, p.235]
— or —
Dele, Domine, iniquitatem meam. [Graduale simplex, p.86]
Verses of Psalm 51 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.
Offertory Antiphon:
I will extol you, O Lord, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, my God, I cried out to you and you healed me. Psalm 30:2-3 **
Verses of Psalm 30 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.
Exaltabo te Domine, quoniam suscepisti me, nec delectasti inimicos meos super me: Domine clamavi ad te, et sanasti me. [Graduale Romanum, p.313]
Exaltabo te Domine, quoniam suscepisti me, nec delectasti inimicos meos super me: Domine clamavi ad te, et sanasti me. [Gregorian Missal, p.236]
Factus est adiutor meus Deus meus. [Graduale simplex, p.88]
Verses of Psalm 30 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.
Prayer over the Offerings:
As we solemnly offer
the annual sacrifice for the beginning of Lent,
we entreat you, O Lord,
that, through works of penance and charity
we may turn away from harmful plea-sures,
and cleanses from our sins, may become worthy
to celebrate devoutly the Passion of your Son.
Who lives and reigns for ev-er and ev-er. A-men.
Preface IV of Lent: [The fruits of fasting]
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For through bodily fasting you restrain our faults,
raise up our minds,
and bestow both virtue and its rewards,
through Christ our Lord.
Through him the Angels praise your majesty,
Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you.
Heaven and the Virtues of heaven and the blessed Seraphim
worship together with exultation.
May our voices, we pray, join with theirs
in humble praise, as we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts…
Communion Antiphon:
He who ponders the law of the Lord day and night
will yield fruit in due season. See Psalm 1:2-3 [Roman Missal]
Qui meditabitur in lege Domini die ac nocte, dabit fructum suum in tempore suo. Psalm 1:2-3 [Graduale Romanum, p.67]
Psalm 1:1,2,3ab,3cd,4,5,6 can also be sung between repetitions of this antiphon.
Qui meditabitur in lege Domini die ac nocte, dabit fructum suum in tempore suo. Psalm 1:2-3 [Gregorian Missal, p.237]
Da nobis, Domine, auxilium de tribulatione. [Graduale simplex, p.88]
Verses of Psalm 60 can also be sung between repetitions of this antiphon.
Prayer after Communion:
May the Sacrament we have received sustain us, O Lord,
that our Lenten fast may be pleasing to you
and be for us a heal-ing remedy.
Through Christ our Lord. A-men.
Prayer over the People:
Pour out a spirit of compunction, O God,
on those who bow before your majesty,
and by your mercy may they merit the rewards you promise
to those who do penance.
Through Christ our Lord.
** An official, approved English translation of the Offertory Antiphon has never been published. The offertory antiphon used here is from the New American Bible, a Scripture translation approved for liturgical use in the United States.
The English translation of the Entrance Antiphon [Introit], Collect, Psalm Refrain, Gospel Verse, Prayer over the Offerings, Preface, Communion Antiphon, Prayer after Communion, and Prayer over the People from The Roman Missal, © Copyright 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corp. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from the First Reading, Second Reading and Gospel are taken from the New American Standard Bible ® © Copyright 1973 The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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