Ash Wednesday (ABC) – February 22nd, 2023
ENTRANCE RITE
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)
Entrance Song
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
OPENING PRAYER
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting
this campaign of Christian service,
so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils
we may be armed with weapons of selfrestraint.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the prophet Joel
Rend your heart and not your garments. (2:12-18)
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
(Ps 50)
Response: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
SECOND READING
A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
Now is the the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. (5:20 – 6:2)
Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts. (Ps 95:8)
GOSPEL
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. ( 6:1-6,16-18 )
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
BLESSING AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASHES
After the homily the minister, if a priest or deacon, joins his hands and says:
Dear friends in Christ, let us ask our Father to bless these ashes which we will use as the mark of our repentance.
Lord, bless the sinner who asks for 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 through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
— or —
Lord, bless these ashes + by which we show that we are dust. Pardon our sins and keep us faithful to the discipline of Lent, for you do not want sinners to die but to live with the risen Christ, who reigns with you for ever and ever.
Amen.
The minister then places the ashes on those who come forward, saying to each:
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.
— or —
Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return.
Antiphons during Distribution of Ashes
These may be repeated after each verse of Psalm 50.
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.
— 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)
— or —
Blot out my transgressions, O Lord. (Psalm 51:3)
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…
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
Our response is: Hear us now we pray.
For the Church, marked with the cross of repentance and redemption; for reconciliation throughout the world among all people; and for the Spirit’s guidance in being ambassador of God’s unconditional love.
In your mercy Lord. Hear us now we pray.
For the leaders of nations and the important challenges and decisions they face; for refugees who face the insecurities of our times; and all who work to implement justice and dignity for their peoples.
In your mercy Lord. Hear us now we pray.
For all who begin this time of renewal in God’s love by prayer, fasting and almsgiving; for the catechumens of the Church, preparing for Baptism during Lent.
In your mercy Lord. Hear us now we pray.
For generosity in sharing with the poor and needy this Lent; for the unemployed and those without adequate housing food or resources; and for solidarity among those who fast, pray and give to the poor.
In your mercy Lord. Hear us now we pray.
For those in our midst who need understanding, forgiveness, and healing; and for the sick, hospitalized and home bound who cannot join us today; as we prepare to celebrate the paschal feast of the Lord’s death and resurrection; and for all who have died recently.
In your mercy Lord. Hear us now we pray.
THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Offertory Song
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
May this oblation, O Lord, we pray
cleanse and renew us
and may it become for those who do your will
the source of eternal reward.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PREFACE and EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
COMMUNION RITE
Communion Antiphon
They ate and had their fill,
and what they craved the Lord gave them;
they were not disappointed in what they craved. (Psalm 78:29-30)
— or —
God so loved the world
that he gave his Only Begotten Son,
so that all who believe in him may not perish,
but may have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Having fed upon these heavenly delights.
we pray, o Lord,
that we may always long
for that food by which we truly live.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.