ASH WEDNESDAY
The Liturgical Year
- Abbot Dom Guéranger
Yesterday, the world was busy
in its pleasures, and the very children of God were taking a joyous farewell to
mirth: but this morning, all is changed. The solemn announcement, spoken of by
the prophet, has been proclaimed in Sion: the solemn fast of Lent, the season
of expiation, the approach of the great anniversaries of our Redemption. Let
us, then, rouse ourselves, and prepare for the spiritual combat.
But in this battling of the spirit against
the flesh we need good armour. Our holy mother the Church knows how much we need
it; and therefore does she summon us to enter into the house of God, that she
may arm us for the holy contest. What this armour is we know from St. Paul, who
thus describes it: ‘Have your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of justice.
And your feet shod with the
preparation of the Gospel of peace. In all things, taking the shield of faith.
Take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God.’ The very prince of the apostles, too, addresses these solemn
words to us: ‘Christ having suffered in the flesh, be ye also armed with the
same thought.’ We are entering, today, upon a long campaign of the warfare
spoken of by the apostles: forty days of battle, forty days of penance. We shall
not turn cowards, if our souls can but be impressed with the conviction, that
the battle and the penance must be gone through. Let us listen to the eloquence
of the solemn rite which opens our Lent. Let us go whither our mother leads us,
that is, to the scene of the fall.
The enemies we have to fight with, are of
two kinds: internal, and external. The first are our passions; the second are
the devils. Both were brought on us by pride, and man’s pride began when he
refused to obey his God. God forgave him his sin, but He punished him. The
punishment was death, and this was the form of the divine sentence: ‘Thou
art dust, and into dust thou shalt return.’ Oh that we
had remembered this! The recollection of what we are and what we are to be, would
have checked that haughty rebellion, which has so often led us to break the law
of God. And if, for the time to come, we would persevere in loyalty to Him, we
must humble ourselves, accept the sentence, and look on this present life as a
path to the grave. The path may be long or short; but to the tomb it must lead
us. Remembering this, we shall see all things in their true light. We shall love
that God, who has deigned to set His heart on us notwithstanding our being
creatures of death: we shall hate, with deepest contrition, the insolence and
ingratitude, wherewith we have spent so many of our few days of life, that is,
in sinning against our heavenly Father: and we shall be not only willing, but
eager, to go through these days of penance, which He so mercifully gives us for
making reparation to His offended justice.
This was the motive the Church had in
enriching her liturgy with the solemn rite, at which we are to assist this
morning. When, upwards of a thousand years ago, she decreed the anticipation of
the Lenten fast by the last four days of Quinquagesima week, she instituted
this impressive ceremony of signing the forehead of her children with ashes,
while saying to them those awful words, wherewith God sentenced us to death:
‘Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return! But the
making use of ashes as a symbol of humiliation and penance, is of a much earlier
date than the institution we allude to. We find frequent mention of it in the
Old Testament. Job, though a Gentile, sprinkled his flesh with ashes, that, thus
humbled, he might propitiate the divine mercy: and this was two thousand years
before the coming of our Saviour. The royal prophet tells us of himself, that
he mingled ashes with his bread, because of the divine anger and indignation.
Many such examples are to be met with in the sacred Scriptures; but so obvious
is the analogy between the sinner who thus signifies his grief, and the object
whereby he signifies it, that we read such instances without surprise. When fallen
man would humble himself before the divine justice, which has sentenced his body
to return to dust, how could he more aptly express his contrite acceptance of
the sentence, than by sprinkling himself, or his food, with ashes, which is the
dust of wood consumed by fire? This earnest acknowledgment of his being himself
but dust and ashes, is an act of humility, and humility ever gives him confidence
in that God, who resists the proud and pardons the humble.
It is probable that, when this ceremony of
the Wednesday in Quinquagesima week was first instituted, it was not intended
for all the faithful, but only for such as had committed any of those crimes for
which the Church inflicted a public penance. Before the Mass of the day began,
they presented themselves at the church, where the people were all assembled.
The priests received the confession of their sins, and then clothed them in
sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes on their heads. After this ceremony, the clergy
and the faithful prostrated, and recited aloud the seven Penitential Psalms. A procession,
in which the penitents walked barefooted, then followed; and on its return, the
bishop addressed these words to the penitents: ‘Behold, we drive you from the
doors of the church by reason of your sins and crimes, as Adam, the first man, was
driven out of paradise because of his transgression.’ The clergy then sang
several responsories, taken from the Book of Genesis, in which mention was made
of the sentence pronounced by God when He condemned man to eat his bread in the
sweat of his brow, for that the earth was cursed on account of sin. The doors
were then shut, and the penitents were not to pass the threshold until
Maundy Thursday, when they were
to come and receive absolution.
Dating from the eleventh century, the
discipline of public penance began to fall into disuse, and the holy rite of
putting ashes on the heads of all the faithful indiscriminately became so
general that, at length, it was considered as forming an essential part of the
Roman liturgy. Formerly, it was the practice to approach bare-footed to receive
this solemn memento of our nothingness; and in the twelfth century, even the
Pope himself, when passing from the church of St. Anastasia to that of St.
Sabina, at which the station was held, went the whole distance bare-footed, as
also did the Cardinals who accompanied him. The Church no longer requires this exterior
penance; but she is as anxious as ever that the holy ceremony, at which we are
about to assist, should produce in us the sentiments she intended to convey by
it, when she first instituted it.
As we have just mentioned, the station in
Rome is at St. Sabina, on the Aventine Hill; It is under the patronage of this
holy martyr that we open the penitential season of Lent.
THE BLESSING OF THE ASHES
The function begins with the
blessing of the ashes, which are to be put on our foreheads. These ashes are
made from the palms, which were blessed the previous Palm Sunday. The blessing
they are now to receive in this their new form, is given in order that they may
be made more worthy of that mystery of contrition and humility which they are intended
to symbolize.
The choir begins by chanting this antiphon, which is a prayer for mercy.
ANTIPHON
Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy
is kind: look on us, O Lord, according to the multitude of thy mercies. Ps.
Save me, O God: for the waters have reached my soul. V.
Glory be to the Father.
Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind: look on us, O Lord,
according to the multitude of thy mercies.
Afterwards the
priest, standing on the Epistle side, says:
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
First Prayer
O almighty and eternal God,
spare those that repent, show mercy to those that humbly entreat thee; and
vouchsafe to send from heaven thy holy angel, to bless ☩ and
sanctify ☩
these ashes, that they may be a Wholesome remedy to all who humbly call upon
thy holy name, and conscious of their sins, accuse themselves, and deplore
their crimes in sight of thy divine Majesty, or humbly and earnestly have re
course to thy sovereign bounty; and grant, by our calling on thy most holy
name, that whoever shall be touched by these ashes for the remission of their
sins, may receive health of body and defence of soul. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Second Prayer
O God, who desirest not the
death of sinners, but rather their repentance, look down most graciously upon
the frailty of human nature and in Thy goodness vouchsafe to bless ☩
these ashes which we intend to put upon our heads in token of our humility and
that we may obtain pardon; that we who know that we are but ashes, and for the penalty
of our guilt must return unto dust, may deserve to obtain of Thy mercy, the
pardon of all our sins, and the rewards promised to the penitents. Through
Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
Third Prayer
O 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. Through Christ our Lord. R.
Amen.
Fourth Prayer
O almighty and eternal God, who
forgavest the Ninivites, when they did penance in sackcloth and ashes;
mercifully grant us so to imitate their penance, that we may obtain pardon of
our sins. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
After this the priest
sprinkles the ashes three times with holy water and also incenses them three
times. Meanwhile, the following antiphons and responsory are sung by the choir
(or recited by the priest.) The celebrant standing, receives ashes on his head.
ANTHEM
Let us change our garments for ashes
and sackcloth; let us fast and lament before the Lord; for our God is very merciful
to forgive us our sins.
ANOTHER ANTHEM
The priests, the ministers of
the Lord, shall weep between the porch and the altar, and say: Spare, O Lord,
spare thy people, and shut not the mouths of those who praise thee, O Lord.
RESPONSORY
Let us amend for the better in
those things in which we have sinned through ignorance; lest suddenly overtaken
by the day of death, we seek space for repentance and are not able to find it.
*Attend, O Lord, and have mercy: for we have sinned against Thee.
V. Help us, O God, our Saviour:
and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord, deliver us. *Attend, O Lord. V. Glory be
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. *Attend.
When placing ashes on
the heads of the faithful, the priest says:
Remember, man, that thou art dust, and into dust thou art shalt
return.
The ashes are
received kneeling; afterwards the priest says:
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
PRAYER
Grant 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. Through Christ our Lord. R.
Amen.
MASS PROPERS
Ash Wednesday
Privileged Feria – Violet vestments
INTROIT - Wisdom 11: 24, 25, 27
Misereris omnium, Domine, et
nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti, dissimulans peccata hominum propter
poenitentiam et parcens illis: quia tu es Dominus Deus noster. Ps. 56: 2. Miserere
mei, Deus, miserere mei: quoniam in te confidit anima mea. V. Gloria Patri.
Misereris omnium, Domine, et nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti,
dissimulans peccata hominum propter poenitentiam et parcens illis: quia tu es
Dominus Deus noster.
Thou hast mercy upon all, O
Lord, and hatest none of the things which Thou hast made, overlooking the sins
of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them: because Thou art the Lord
our God. Ps. 56: 2. Have
mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in Thee. V. Glory be.
Thou, O Lord, hast mercy on all, and hatest none of those things
which thou hast created; thou overlookest the sins of men, to draw them to
repentance, and thou pardonest them; because thou art the Lord our God.
COLLECT
Grant, O Lord, to Thy faithful
people, that they may undertake with fitting piety the venerable solemnities of
fasting, and complete them with steadfast devotion. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE -Joel 2: 12-19
Thus saith the Lord: Be
converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning.
And rend your heats and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for
He is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of
the evil. Who knoweth but He will return and forgive and leave a blessing
behind Him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in
Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather together the people,
sanctify the Church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones and
them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed and the
bride out of her bride chamber. Between the porch and the altar the priests,
the Lord's ministers, shall weep and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare Thy
people; and give not Thine inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should
rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God? The
Lord hath been zealous for His land, and hath spared His people. And the Lord
answered and said to His people: behold I will send you corn and wine and oil,
and you shall be filled with them: and I will no more make you a reproach among
the nations: saith the Lord almighty.
GRADUAL - Psalm 56: 2, 4
Miserere mei, Deus, miserere
mei: quoniam in te confidit anima mea. V. Misit de cælo, et liberavit me:
dedit in opprobrium conculcantes me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, have
mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in Thee. V. He hath sent from heaven and
delivered me: He hath made them a reproach that trod upon me.
TRACT - Psalm 102: 10
O Lord, repay us not according
to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V. O Lord, remember not our former
iniquities, let Thy mercies speedily prevent us: for we are become exceeding
poor. (Here kneel.) V. Help us, O God, our Saviour:
and for the glory of Thy Name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins for
Thy Name's sake.
GOSPEL - Matthew 6: 16-21
At that time Jesus said to His
disciples: When you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure
their face, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, 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 seeth in secret will repay Thee. Lay not up to
yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust and moth consume, and where
thieves break through and steal. But lay up to 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.
OFFERTORY - Psalm 29: 2, 3
Exaltabo te, Domine, quoniam
suscepisti me, nec delectasti inimicos meos super me: Domine, clamavi ad te, et
sanasti me.
I will extol Thee, O Lord, for
Thou hast upheld me, and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me: O Lord, I
have cried to Thee, and Thou hast healed me.
SECRET
Fit us, we beseech Thee, O
Lord, to offer worthily these gifts, by which we celebrate the opening of this
venerable Mystery. Through our Lord.
PREFACE FOR LENT
It is truly meet and just,
right and availing unto salvation, that we should at all times and in all
places give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty and everlasting God.
Who by the fasting of the body dost curb our vices, elevate our minds and
bestow virtue and reward; through Christ our Lord. Through whom the angels
praise Thy majesty, the dominions worship it, and the powers stand in awe. The
heavens and the heavenly hosts, with the blessed seraphim join together in
celebrating their joy. With these we pray Thee join our voices also, while we
say with lowly praise.
COMMUNION - Psalm 77: 29, 30
Qui meditabitur in lege Domini
die ac nocte, dabit fructum suum in tempore suo.
He that shall meditate day and
night on the law of the Lord, shall bring forth his fruit in due season.
POSTCOMMUNION
May the Sacraments we have
received afford us help, O Lord, that our fasts may be pleasing unto Thee, and
profitable unto us for healing. Through our Lord.
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Let us pray
Bow down your heads before
God. Look graciously, O Lord, upon us
who bow down before Thy majesty: that we who have been refreshed by Thy divine
Gift may ever be sustained by Thy heavenly aids. Through our Lord.
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