INTROIT

Audivit Dominus (Psalm 30)

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me:
Lord, be thou my helper.  §

I will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou hast set me up:
And not made my foes to triumph over me.
Glory be ...
As it was ...

(Repeat to §.)

We beseech thee, O Lord, to further with thy gracious favour the fast, which we have here begun: that we, who with our bodies therein do thee outward worship, may inwardly perform the same insingleness of heart.  Through.

COLLECT 2 Of Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost 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 obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Who.]

COLLECT 3  Of the Saints

Defend us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all dangers both of body and soul: and at the intercession of thy blessed and glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of blessed N., and of all thy Saints, grant us thy saving health and peace; that being defended from all adversities and all false doctrines, thy Church may serve thee in all freedom and quietness.  (Through.)
 
 

THE LESSON

Isaiah 58.1-9

Thus saith the Lord:  Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.  Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.  Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.  For I, the Lord thy God, am merciful.

GRADUAL

  (Psalm 27) One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require,
Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord.
  To behold the fair beauty of the Lord,
And to visit his temple.

TRACT

  (Psalm 103) O Lord, deal not with us after our sins:
  Nor reward us according to our wickedness.
  (Psalm 79)  Lord, remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us,
  And that soon, for we are come to great misery.

ALL GENUFLECT

  Help us, O God  of our salvation,
  For the glory of thy Name, O Lord
  O deliver us and be merciful unto our sins,
  For thy Name’s sake.
 

THE GOSPEL

St. Matthew 5.43-6.6

At that time: Jesus said unto his disciples: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
 
 
OFFERTORY  Psalm 119

Quicken me, O Lord,  according to thy word: that I may know thy testimonies.

SECRET

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that this our Lenten sacrifice of fasting may render our souls acceptable in thy sight: and make us readily to serve thee in all continence.  Through.

SECRET 2  Of Ash Wednesday

Grant, we beseeh thee, O Lord, that like as we do by these our oblations bring to remembrance the institution of this holy Sacrament, so we may by thee be enabled to offer the same according to thy will.  Through.

SECRET 3  Of the Saints

Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation, and by the power of this Sacrament defend us from all dangers both of body and soul: granting us in this world the succour of thy grace, and in the world to come life everlasting.  (Through).

COMMUNION  Psalm 2

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto him with reverence: take hold of discipline,lest ye perish from the right way.

POSTCOMMUNION

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour into our hearts thy spirit of charity: that as thou hast now fulfilled us with one heavenly bread, so we may by thy mercy be enabled to dwell together in unity and concord.  Through.

POSTCOMMUNION 2  Of Ash Wednesday

We beseech thee, Lord, mercifully to protect us who have now received this holy Sacrament: that this our fast may be acceptable in thy sight, and profitable unto us for the healing of our souls.  Through.

POSTCOMMUNION 3  Of the Saints

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the gifts now offered by us in these holy mysteries may evermore cleanse and defend us: that at the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of blessed N., and of all thy Saints, we may be absolved from all our offences and defended against al adversities.  (Through.)

Over the people.

Let us pray.  Bow down before the Lord.

COLLECT

Defend, O Lord, we pray thee, us thy servants, and of thy mercy cleanse us from all our sins: that we, being delivered from the dominion of iniquity, may be preserved from all the assaults of adversity.  Through.

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