Ash Wednesday | A Penitential Office for the Blessing of Ashes

A PENITENTIAL OFFICE for the BLESSING of ASHES that precedes Divine Worship, the Venerable English Mass of the Ordinariate.

EXADUI NOS Psalm 69.17, 1

HEAR me, O Lord, for thy loving-kindness is comfortable: turn thee unto me according to the multitude of thy mercies. Ps. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul. (Bow) Glory be… (Upright) As it was... Hear me…

The Celebrant now turns to the people and says:

BRETHREN, it has been the custom in the Church from ancient times to observe with great devotion the days of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, and to prepare for the same by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided also a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for holy Baptism. It was also a time when such persons as had, by reason of notorious sins, been separated from the body of the faithful, were reconciled and restored to the fellowship of the Church by penitence and forgiveness. Thereby the whole Church was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution contained in the Gospel of our Saviour, and of the need which all Christians continually have of a renewal of their repentance and faith. I therefore invite you, 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 upon God’s holy Word. And to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker and Redeemer.

KNEEL as the Choir sings Psalm 51 (Miserere mei, Deus)

Ant. Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

1. Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness: according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.
2. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.
3. For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.
4. Against thee only have I sinned and done that which is evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou dost judge.
5. Behold, I was brought forth in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
6. But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
7. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8. Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice
9. Turn thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.
10. Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.
11. Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
12. O give me the comfort of thy help again: and stablish me with a free spirit.
13. Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.
15. O Lord, open thou my lips: and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16. For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it: but thou delightest not in burnt offerings.
17. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
18. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with the burnt offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

(Bow) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; (Upright) As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Ant. Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

Kyrie, eleison. R. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.

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. Amen.

The Celebrant alone stands, all others REMAIN KNEELING.

O Lord, save thy servants; R. That put their trust in thee.

Send unto them help from above. R. And evermore mightily defend them.

Help us, O God our Saviour. R. And for the glory of thy Name deliver us; be merciful to us sinners, for thy Name’s sake.

O Lord, hear our prayer. R. And let our cry come unto thee.

Let us pray.

O LORD, we beseech thee, mercifully hear our prayers, and spare all those who confess their sins unto thee; that they, whose consciences by sin are accused, by thy merciful pardon may be absolved; through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

BLESSING of ASHES

The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

O GOD, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his sin and be saved: mercifully look upon the frailty of our mortal nature, and of thy goodness vouchsafe to bl+ess these ashes now to be set upon our heads in token of humility and to obtain thy pardon; that we, knowing we are but dust, and that for our unworthiness unto dust shall we return, may through thy mercy be found meet to receive forgiveness of all our sins, and those good things which thou hast promised to the penitent; through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

The Celebrant first sprinkles the ashes with holy water and then incenses them. The Celebrant and people together say the following:

TURN thou us, O good Lord, and so shall we be turned. Be favourable, O Lord, be favourable to thy people, who turn to thee in weeping, fasting, and praying. For thou art a merciful God, full of compassion, long-suffering, and of great pity. Thou sparest when we deserve punishment, and in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare thy people, good Lord, spare them, and let not thine heritage be brought to confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is great, and after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us; through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Celebrant proceeds to place ashes on the head of all present, who come forward and KNEEL AT THE ALTAR RAIL. During the distribution of ashes the Choir sings the following Anthems and Responsory:  IMMUTEMUR HABITU Joel 2.13

LET us change our raiment for sackcloth and ashes: let us fast and mourn before the Lord: for our God is merciful to forgive us our sins.

IUXTA VESTIBULUM Joel 2.17; Esther 4.17

LET the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people, and shut not up, O Lord, the mouths of them that praise thee.

EMENDEMUS Baruch 3.2; Psalm 79.9

LET us amend the sins that in our ignorance we have committed: lest the day of death come upon us suddenly, and we find no place for repentance though we seek it. R. Hear, Lord, and have mercy: for we have sinned against thee.

Help us, O God of our salvation: for the glory of thy Name deliver us, O Lord. R. Hear, Lord, and have mercy: for we have sinned against thee.

(Bow) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. (Upright) R. Hear, Lord, and have mercy: for we have sinned against thee.

Following the imposition of ashes, the Celebrant washes his hands and says: Let us pray.

KNEEL

O GOD whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive: receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chains of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us; for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. R. Amen.

The Celebrant exchanges his cope for the chasuble and proceeds to incense the Altar as the Choir sing the Introit: Misereris omnium (Wisdom 11.24, 25, 27; Ps. 57.1)