February 13, 2013

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Ash Wednesday

Read more.

Remember also:
Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. (source)

Lectionary: 219

If the blessing and distribution of ashes take place outside Mass, it is appropriate that the Liturgy of the Word precede it, using texts assigned to the Mass of Ash Wednesday.

If you can't go to Mass to receive the ashes, you should try to listen to the Readings and the Gospel.

Reading 1 from the Holy Book of Joel
Jl 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.

Even after all the evil you have committed, if you turn to God and ask His mercy, He will be merciful towards you.

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?’”

Call all the people together.  Proclaim a day of repentance.  Ask God for forgiveness.  Get the children, get the newlyweds out of the bed room.  Gather everyone and ask God for mercy!

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.

When the Jews did this, the Lord turned to them and was merciful. 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (see 3a) 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.

Be kind to me My Lord, you are merciful.
Please forgive me my sins.

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.

I recognize my wrongdoing and I always remember the evil I have done.

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.

Take my heart and cleanse it Lord.
Give me a new spirit.

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.

That I may again rejoice in your saving power.
Give me a willing heart to obey you.
Lord, give me the will to praise your name before all the people. 

Reading 2 from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians
2 Cor 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.

Brothers,  God has made us representatives of Jesus Christ for you.  Therefore, come to the Sacrament of Confession and repent of your sins.  Thus, you will be reunited with 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.

This is why Christ died.  He took upon Himself our sins and yet He committed no sin. So that we who committed sins could be washed of our sins in His blood.  Work with us then and come to the fountain of God's grace.

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.

God says, I heard you when you called to me and on that day I saved you.
Behold, today is the time to call out to God and be heard.  Today is the time to present yourself to God and  be saved. 

The Holy Gospel accordint to St. Matthew
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

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.

Jesus said, "don't do good deeds to receive recognition from men.  Do them to please God.  Those who want recognition of men will receive the recognition of men.  Those who want to please God, receive eternal life."

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 give to the poor, do it in secret so that God alone knows and God alone repays 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 pray, don't make a show of it, like the hyprocrites who want to be seen by men.  Pray to God in secret and God will reward you in secret.

“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.”

When you make a sacrifice for God, don't put on a show like the hypocrites.  Be joyful, wash your face and make no appearance of suffering.  God who sees everything will repay you.