selves, and deplore their crimes in the sight of thy divine majesty, or humbly and earnestly have recourse to thy sovereign bounty; and grant, by our calling on thy most holy name, that whoever shall be touched by these ashes for the semission of their sins, may receive health of body, and defence of soul. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Let us pray. Deus, qui non mortem. God, who desirest the conversion, and not the death of sinners, graciously consider the weakness of human nature, and mercifully vouchsafe to bless these ashes, which we design to receive on our heads, in token of our humiliation, and to obtain forgiveness; that we, who know we are but ashes, and must return to dust because of our wickedness, may obtain, through thy mercy, pardon of all our sins, and the recompence promised to penitents. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Let us pray. Deus, qui humiliatione. God, who art appeased by humiliation, and pacified by satisfaction, incline to our prayers the ears of thy mercy and pour upon the heads of thy servants, covered with these ashes, the grace of thy blessing; so as both to fill them with the spirit of compunction, and to grant them the effects of their just desires, and when granted, to remain stable and untouched for ever. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Let us pray. Omnipotens. Almighty and Eternal God, who forgavest the Ninivites, when they did pennance in sackcloth and ashes; mercifully grant us so to imitate their pennance, that we may obtain pardon of our sins. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen. The Priest having sprinkled the ashes with holy water, saying the Anthem, Thou shalt sprinkle, p. 30, without the Psalm, and incensed them thrice, receives or gives them to himself; then he lays them on the head of every one, saying to each: Pr. Remember, O man, thou art dust, and shalt return to dust again. In the mean time, the following Anthems are sung by the Choir. ANTHEM. Joel ii. Let us change our dress for ashes and sackcloth; let us fast and weep in the pre Immutemur habitu in cinere & cilicio; jejunemus, & ploremus ante Dominum; quia multum mise sence of the Lord; for our God is very merciful to forgive us our sins. Another. The priests, the ministers of the Lord, shall weep between the porch and the altar, and say: Spare, O Lord, O spare thy people, and shut not the mouths of those, who praise thee, O Lord. RESP. Esther xiii. Joel ii. Let us amend of the sins we have committed through ignorance; lest suddenly overtaken by the day of our death, we seek for time to do pennance, and be not able to find it.* Look down on us, O Lord, and take pity; for we have sinned against thee. V. Help us, O God, our Saviour, and deliver us for the glory of thy name, O Lord.* Look down on us, &c. to V. Glory, &c. * Look down on us, &c. to V. ricors est dimittere peccata nostra Deus noster. Inter vestibulum & altare plorabunt sacerdotes minis, tri Domini, & dicent; Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo, & ne claudas ora canentium te, Domine. Emendemus in melius quæ ignoranter peccavimus; ne subito præoccupati die mortis, quæramus spatium pœnitentiæ, & invenire non possimus. * Attende, Domine, & miserere; quia peccavimus tibi. V. Adjuva nos, Deus Salu-, taris noster; & propter honorem nominis tui, Domi-, ne, libera nos. * Attende, Domine, &c to V. Gloria, &c. * Attende, &c. to V. May the Lord be with you. R. and with thy Spirit. Concede nobis. GR Let us pray. YRANT us, O Lord, to begin with holy fasting our Christian warfare; that being to fight against spiritual wickedness, we may be aided therein by temperance. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen. MASS. INTROIT. Wisd. xi. Psalm lvi. HOU, O Lord, hast THO mercy on all, and hatest none of those things, which thou hast created; thou winkest at the sins of men to draw them to repentance, and thou pardonest them because thou art the Lord our God. Ps. Have mercy on me, O God, 4 M Domine, & nihil odisti eorum, quæ fecisti, dissimulans peccata hominum propter poenitentiam, & parcens illis; quia tu es Dominus, Deus noster. Ps. Miserere mei, Deus, mise-, rere mei; quoniam in te confidit anima mea. V. ISERERIS omnium, have mercy on me; for Gloria. my soul trusteth in thee. V. Glory. Præsta Domine. Grant, O Lord, that thy faithful may enter on this solemn fast with suitable piety, and go thro' it with unmolested devotion. Thro'. From this day to Passion-Sunday the second COLLECT is: A cunctis, as above, p. 194. The third; O Almighty, p. clv. THUS LESSON. Joel ii. 12. 19. HUS saith the Lord. Return to me with your whole heart, in fasting, in weeping, and in mourning, And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and be converted to the Lord your God; for he is good and compassionate, patient, and very merciful, and willing to be reconciled after sin. Who knoweth but he may turn to us, and forgive us, and leave a blessing behind him; a sacrifice and libation to the Lord our God? Sound the trumpet in Sion, appoint a holy fast, call an assembly, summon she people, purify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather together the little ones, and those that suck the breast; let the bridegroom go out of his chamber, and the bride from her nuptial bed. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people, and let not thy inheritance fall into reproach, for the Gentiles to insult over them. Why do they say among the nations: Where is their God? The Lord hath been moved with zeal for his land, and spared his people. And the Lord spoke to his people, and said: Behold I will send you corn and wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them; and I will let you no longer be a reproach among the Gentiles, saith the Lord Almighty. GRAD. Ps. lvi. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me; for my soul hath trusted in thee. V. He hath stretched forth his hand from heaven, and hath delivered me; he hath given up to reproach those who trampled on me. TRACT. Ps. cii. and lxxviii. Deal not with Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei; quoniam in te confidit anima mea. V. Misit de cœlo, & liberavit me; dedit in opprobrium conculcantes me. Domine, non secundum peccata nostra, quæ feci us, O Lord, according to our sins, which we have committed, nor punish us according to our iniquities. V. Remember not, O Lord, our past offences; let thy mercy soon overtake us, for we are reduced to the greatest misery. V. * Help us, O God our Saviour; and for the glory of thy name deliver us. O Lord, and for the glory of thy name pardon us our sins mus nos, neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuas nobis. V. Domine, ne memineris iniquitatum nos→ trarum antiquarum; cito anticipent nos misericordiæ tuæ, quia pauperes facti sumus nimis. V. * Adjuva nos, Deus salutaris noster : & propter gloriam nominis tui, Domine, libera nos; & propitius esto peccatis nostris propter nomen tu um. The TRACT is said every MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY, till Wednesday in Holy-week, except there is a proper one appointed. A GOSPEL. Matt. vi. 16. 21. T that time Jesus said to his disciples: When you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men tó fast. Amen I say to you, that they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who is in secret, will reward thee. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth; where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven; where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.. OFFERT. Ps. xxix. I will extol thee, O Lord, because thou hast upholden me; nor hast thou let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord, to thee I cried out, and thou didst heal me. Exaltabo te, Domine, quoniam suscepisti me; nec delectasti inimicos meos super me. Domine, clamavi ad te, & sanasti me. I. SECRET. Grant, O Lord, that we may be duly prepared to present these our offerings, by which we celebrate the institution of this venerable mystery. Thro. II. SECRET. Graciously, as above, p. 194. III. SECRET. O God, to whom alone is known the number of thine elect to be placed in eternal bliss ; grant, we beseech thee, by the intercession of all thy saints, that the book of predestination may contain the names of all those, whom we have undertaken to pray for, as well as those of all the faithful. Thro'. PREFACE of Lent. ORDINARY, p. 52. COMM. Ps. i. He that meditateth night and day on the law of the Lord, shall yield his fruit in due season. Qui meditabitur in lege Domini die ac nocte, dabit fructum suum in tempore suo. POSTCOMM. Precepta nobis. May the mysteries we have received, O Lord, afford us help, that our fasting may be acceptable to thee, and become a remedy to Thro'. us. II. POSTCOMM. Mundet, as above, p. 195. III. POSTCOMM. Purificent. May the mysteries we have received, purify us, we beseech thee, O Almighty and merciful God; and grant, by the intercession of all thy saints, that this thy sacrament may not increase our guilt to punishment, but be a means of obtaining pardon in order to salvation; may it wash away sin, strengthen our frailty, secure us against all dangers of the world; and procure forgiveness for all the faithful both living and dead. Thro'. The PRAYER over the People. Let us pray. Bow down your heads to God. M ERCIFULLY look upon us, O Lord, bowing down before thy divine Majesty, that they who have been refreshed with thy divine mysteries, may always be supported by thy heavenly aid. Thro'. And such a Prayer is said over the people every day, except on Sundays and Feasts, till Wednesday in HolyWeek. THURSDAY BEFORE THE I. SUNDAY IN LENT. MASS. INTROIT. Psalm liv. W HEN I cried out to the Lord, he heard my voice against those that were coming upon me; he that is before all ages and will be for ever, humbled them; cast thy care on the Lord, and he will feed thee. |