st mary’s catholic churchGreenville, South carolina

ash wednesday

17 february 2021

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Entrance Hymn Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days

Introductory Rites

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First Reading Joel 2.12-18Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the Lord, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, And say, “Spare, O Lord, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Then the Lord was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

Lector: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Liturgy of the Word

Collect

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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51.3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 & 17

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.Thoroughly wash me from my guiltand of my sin cleanse me. Response.

For I acknowledge my offense,and my sin is before me always:“Against you only have I sinned,and done what is evil in your sight.” Response.

A clean heart create for me, O God,and a steadfast spirit renew within me.Cast me not out from your presence,and your Holy Spirit take not from me. Response.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,and a willing spirit sustain in me.O Lord, open my lips,and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Response.

Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5.20-6.2Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Lector: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

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Gospel Acclamation

If today you hear his voice,harden not your hearts. Response.

Gospel Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18

Deacon: The Lord be with you. People: And with your spirit.

Deacon: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. People: Glory to you, O Lord.

Homily

Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

After the Homily, the Priest, standing with hands joined, says:

Priest Dear brethren, let us humbly ask God our Father that he be pleased to bless with the abundance of his grace these ashes, which we will put on our heads in penitence.

After a brief prayer in silence, and, with hands extended, he continues:

Priest O God, who desire not the death of sinners, but their conversion, mercifully hear our prayers and in your kindness be pleased to bless @ these ashes, which we intend to receive upon our heads, that we, who acknowledge we are but ashes and shall return to dust, may, through a steadfast observance of Lent, gain pardon for sins and newness of life after the likeness of your Risen Son. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.People Amen.

He sprinkles the ashes with holy water.

Then the Priest places ashes on the head of all those present who come forward to him, and says to each one:

Priest Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

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Blessing and Distribution of Ashes

During the imposition of ashes, the choir sings:

Hear My Prayer, O Lord Adrian Batten

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my crying come unto thee.

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Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake Richard Farrant

Lord, for thy tender mercy’s sake, Lay not our sins to our charge; But forgive what is past, And give us grace to amend our sinful lives; To decline from sin and incline to virtue; That we may walk in a perfect heart Before thee now and evermore. Amen.

The Bidding Prayers

The CollectionThe offering is for the support of the parish.

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Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory Hymn Hear Us, Almighty Lord

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Priest Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.

People May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

Prayer Over the Offerings

Preface Dialogue

Eucharistic Prayer

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Sanctus

Mystérium Fídei (The Mystery of Faith)

The Great Amen arr. by Judy Franzen

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Priest The peace of the Lord be with you always.

People And with your spirit.

Priest At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:

People 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.

Priest Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

People For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.

Priest Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.

People Amen.

Communion Rite

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Agnus Dei

Priest Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

People Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

An Act of SpirituAl communion

lord JeSuS, i love you Above All thingS. how i long to receive you with my brotherS And SiSterS At the tAble you hAve prepAred.

but Since i cAnnot At thiS moment receive you in the holy SAcrAment of your body And blood,

i ASk you to feed me with the mAnnA of your holy Spirit And nouriSh me with your holy preSence.

i unite mySelf completely to you; never permit me to be SepArAted from your love.

Amen.

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Communion Motets

Wilt Thou Forgive John Hilton; arr. Clarke

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun, Which was my sin, though it were done before?Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run, And do run still, though still I do deplore? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won Others to sin, and made my sin their door?Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore; And, having done that, thou hast done; I fear no more.

Nobis datus Tomás Luis de la VictoriaNow, my tongue the mystery telling of the glorious Body sing,And the Blood, all price excelling, which the Gentiles’ Lord and king,In a Virgin’s womb once dwelling, for this world’s ransoming.

Given for us, and condescending to be born for us below,He, with men in converse blending, dwelt the seed of truth to sow,Till he Closed with wondrous ending, His most patient life of woe.

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Communion Hymn O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts

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Concluding Rites

Page seven: Ivan Kramskoy. Christ in the Wilderness. (1872). Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Page nine: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. Joel. (1475–1564). From the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

2003, ABC Music Co.All rights reserved

OneLicense.net License #1-701853

Priest The Lord be with you.People And with your spirit.

Priest May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.People Amen.

Deacon Go in peace.People Thanks be to God.

During Mass at St Mary’s, the priest and people face the same direction at the altar, a custom that was once universal in the Catholic Church but is now rare in the celebration of the modern liturgy. For an explanation of this practice, please visit our parish website, www.smcgvl.org, and look for the link entitled Facing East to Pray.

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From the office of Readings

for ash wednesday

Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added this evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, “Father,” and I will listen to you as to a holy people.

In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and he confirmed this desire by his own almighty will. That is why we should obey his sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat his mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works and quarrelling and jealousy which only lead to death.

Brothers, we should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: The wise man must not glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches. Rather, let him who glories glory in the Lord by seeking him and doing what is right and just. Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and forbearance. Be merciful, he said, so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.

Let these commandments and precepts strengthen us to live in humble obedience to his sacred words. As Scripture asks: Whom shall I look upon with favor except the humble, peaceful man who trembles at my words?

Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning. Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Father and Creator of the whole universe, and hold fast to his splendid and transcendent gifts of peace and all his blessings.

- From a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement, pope

PleASe Join uS for

the wAy of the croSS on

the fridAyS of lent At 6 pm

And for

Solemn veSperS on the SundAyS of lent At 5 pm

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