Lent is a fortnight away. Here are some resources to help your planning.
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Ash Wednesday Collect
Let us pray (in silence) [for grace to keep Lent faithfully.]
pause
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Ash Wednesday is a solemn focusing on sin, repentance, and our need for forgiveness. Most tend to underplay sin nowadays (and, yes, that’s in reaction to its over-stressing in the past), but Ash Wednesday is a reminder of its dreadful reality. The tone of the collect is, hence, appropriate. Obviously we cease using the collect that we used daily from Sunday, and use this one from Ash Wednesday until first evening prayer of Sunday Lent 1. After that, if you want to use it throughout Lent, don’t have two collects following each other – this collect can be used to conclude the Prayers of the People (or even as the Prayer after Communion).
Here is my commentary for this collect for Ash Wednesday.
Lent Resources
Shrove Tuesday
A hymn for Shrove Tuesday
What is Lent?
NB. The “Glory to God in the highest” is not used in the Eucharist. The word “Alleluia” is not used at all. There are no flowers in church during Lent.
Lent candle ritual
Lenten preparation (catechumenate)
Ash Wednesday
Lent
receiving the Lord’s Prayer (catechumenate)
receiving the creed (catechumenate)
enrolment for baptism (catechumenate)
Palm Sunday
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Resources off this Site
My friend, Fr John O’Connor, will be offering online reflections daily during Lent.
If you have a Lent resource to share, please add it in the comments.
If you appreciated this post, do remember to like the liturgy facebook page, use the RSS feed, and signing up for a not-very-often email, …
How about a Lenten Carbon Fast –
Calendar from the Anglican Communion Enviromental Network
http://acen.anglicancommunion.org/media/285171/Carbon-Fast-Lent-2017.pdf
Sundays during Lent & Palm Sunday meditations on water
https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/trinity-institute/2017/lent
Brilliant, thanks, David. [My own community is raising money for water – wells in Africa – during Lent]. Blessings.
Thank you! very inspiring…
I have a devotional guide called “BOTH SIDES OF EASTER, With St Matthew.” It uses the Revised Common Lectionary Cycle A. To prepare for and respond to the six Sundays of Lent a D the six Sundays of Easter. I will email a copy for free to anyone who asks.
That’s great, Casper. But you have not included how they can ask you. Blessings.
God bless you fr Bosco Peters for that.
Casper, can you set up a link where we could download a pdf?