Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance and fasting, the first day of Lent.
Consecration of ashes and placing the cross of ashes on the forehead of the faithful.
Invitation
May I draw your attention to
The daily reading of the Gospel
This invitation seeks to celebrate the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception
can experience that joy by opening his or her heart
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day.
INTRODUCCIÖN
At the beginning of Lent
the readings call us to repentance.
What is the point of praying to God
if our hearts are not with Him?
What is the point of giving alms to the poor
if we are not moved by their misery?
What is the point of fasting
if our hearts are not longing for what really matters?
For forty days, let us open our hearts
to renewal and conversion
and grow in confidence towards the celebration of Easter.
FIRST READING Joel 2, 12-18
Do not tear your clothes
From the prophet Joel
Thus says the Lord God:
‘Turn to me with all your heart
with fasting, with weeping and mourning.
‘Tear your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for He is merciful and gracious,
longsuffering and full of love,
and has compassion on calamity’.
Who knows, He returns and mourns
And leaves behind a blessing,
an offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God!
‘Blow the trumpet in Zion,
proclaim a holy Lent,
Convene a solemn assembly!
‘Gather the people ,
call a holy assembly,
gather the elders
and gather the children and the infants;
Let the bridegroom come out of his chamber
And the bride from her bridal chamber.
‘Between the antechamber and the altar, may
the priests, who perform the Lord’s service,
‘weep and say:
‘Forgive your people, O Lord
let them not mock your inheritance,
Let not the heathen rule over it.
‘Let them among the nations say:
Where is their God?’
Then the Lord defended his homeland
and spared his people.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 51(50), 3-4, 5-6a, 12-13, 14, 17
God, be merciful to me in your mercy,
deliver my sinfulness in your mercy.
God, have mercy on me in your mercy.
Make atonement for my sin in your mercy.
Wash my guilt from me completely,
cleanse me from all my sins.
I acknowledge my transgression
my transgression is always before me.
I have sinned against You alone,
I have done what is against You.
Create in me a pure heart, my God,
give me again a resolute spirit.
Do not turn me away from Your face
Do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Give me again the opulence of Your blessing,
make me strong in generosity.
Lord, loosen my lips
that my mouth may sing Your praise.
SECOND READING 2 Cor. 5, 20-6, 2
Be reconciled to God, for now is the right time.
From the holy apostle Paul’s second letter to Christians
From Corinth
Brothers and sisters,
we are ambassadors of Christ,
God is calling you through our word.
We beseech you in the name of Christ :
be reconciled to God
He who knew no sin
became sin for us
that through him we might become the holiness of God.
As co-workers of God, we exhort you :
See to it that you do not receive His grace in vain.
After all, He says:
‘At the right time I have heard you,
On the day of salvation I have come to your aid’.
Now is that auspicious time,
today is the day of redemption.
VERSES FOR GOSPEL Ps. 51(50), 12a. 14a
Create in me a pure heart, O my God
Give me again the riches of your blessing.
GOSPEL Mt 6:1-6,16-18
Your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Remember :
Do not exercise your righteousness before the eyes of men,
to draw attention to you
otherwise you will have no reward
with your Father who is in heaven.
‘When you give alms, do not proclaim it before you,
do not proclaim it before you
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
That they may be praised by men.
|‘Truly, I say to you
They have already received their reward.
‘When you give alms
do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
That your alms may remain secret
and your Father, who sees in secret
will repay you.
‘When you pray ,
do not behave like the hypocrites
who like to stand in the synagogues
and stand on street corners praying for people’s attention.
To get people’s attention.
‘Truly, I say to you
They have already received their reward.
‘But when you pray
go to your inner room,
shut the door behind you
and pray to your Father who is in secret;
and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
‘When you fast ,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites ;
they strain their faces
to show people that they are fasting.
‘Verily, I say to you:
They have already received their reward.
‘But if you fast,
anoint your heads and wash your faces
not to show people that you are fasting,
but fast for the sake of your Father who is in secret
and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you’.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
208. We must come to understand the various forms of manipulation, distortion and obfuscation
of truth unmask in the public and private spheres.
What we call ‘truth’ is not only the communication of facts by
by journalism. It is above all a|
search for the most solid foundations for
our choices and our laws. This implies accepting that
human intelligence can go beyond the conveniences of the
moment and understand some immutable truths
that do not change, that were true
for us and will always be true.
By examining human nature,
reason discovers values that are universal because they flow from it.
Continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text of this edition is from the New Translation of the Bible,
The Bible text of this edition is from the New Bible Translation, © Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Reflections on liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English Translation
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