ASH WEDNESDAY (A, B ,C) Lectionary #219

This day and Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion are two of the more popular Lenten celebrations. It seems that some people come to church on these days because we're giving things away: ashes and palm. Clearly, this opening to the "forty days" was added to Lent after the practice of adult initiation had ceased to guide the meaning of the season. The texts focus on repentance by those already baptized rather than preparation for those to be initiated.

NOTE: The Lectionary includes this rubric: "If the blessing and distribution of ashes takes place outside Mass, it is appropriate that the Liturgy of the Word precede it, using texts assigned to the Mass of Ash Wednesday."

Joel 2:12-18. In response to a current calamity, the prophet calls for an act of communal repentance. This reading describes the ritual act itself as well as the prophet's sense, in the final verse, that the Lord will hear the people's prayer.

Psalm of the Day: Ps (50) 51

This is the great "penitential psalm" that becomes the church's Lenten prayer. Consider not only using a memorable setting of this psalm but also encouraging the parish staff to have copies of the text (or text and music, if the copyright laws permit) available for personal prayer during Lent and for use by those preparing for sacramental reconciliation.

Be Merciful, O Lord (Angrisano) MI-BB

Be Merciful, O Lord (Bedford) SO 16/PRM C17/PMB 579

Be Merciful, O Lord (Craig/Gelineau) WOR 787, 973/RS 82

Be Merciful, O Lord (Guimont) LPMG 31

Be Merciful, O Lord (Harbor) LMGM 507

Be Merciful, O Lord (Haugen) GC 56/RS 83/PCY1 20

Be Merciful, O Lord (Hirten) GIA 3318

Be Merciful, O Lord (Janco) CCS 3518

Be Merciful, O Lord (Joncas) GIA 3433

Be Merciful, O Lord (Jordan) LMGM 508

Be Merciful, O Lord (Kreutz) PSC 14

Be Merciful, O Lord (Kreutz/Murray) CBW 44

Be Merciful, O Lord (Marchionda) SO 53

Be Merciful, O Lord (Mews) IL 56

Be Merciful, O Lord/Misericordia, Señor (Schaefer) WC 390

Be Merciful, O Lord (Peloquin) SI 40

Be Merciful, O Lord (Schiavone) GIA 2845/OCP 9805/LP 33

Be Merciful, O Lord (Smith) CCS 3494

Be Merciful, O Lord (Ward) WC 389/WS 297

Be Merciful, O Lord (Willcock) PFS 14/JS 46

Create in Me (Haas) GC 57/PCY3 41

Create in Me (Hurd) MI-BB/JS 562/GP 209/SP1 40

Create in Me (Kendzia) MI-BB/SP5 30/JS 47

Create in Me (Kogut) PCY10 24

Have Mercy, Lord (Gelineau) WOR 41/GC 55/CBW 364

Have Mercy on Me, O Lord (Warner) PST 21

Have Mercy on Us, Lord (Murray) CBW 41

Misericordia, Señor (Florián) Cantos 64

Misericordia, Señor (Ponce Rangel) GP 211

Misericordia, Señor/Mercy, Lord (Schiavone) FYC 210

Misericordia, Señor/Show Us Your Mercy, O Lord (Hurd) FYC 209

O Dios, Crea in Mí/Create in Me (Cortés) FYC 211

Remember Your Love (Kreutz) BB

2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2. Writing to his favorite community—and also the community that seemed to have had the most problem with internal divisions—Paul calls on the Corinthians to become Christ to one another by taking on the very mission that Jesus accomplished, becoming reconcilers for each other just as Jesus has reconciled humanity and God.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. Alms, prayer, and fasting are the three traditional actions for this season of repentance. When he discusses these activities, Jesus proposes that they be undertaken seriously and with no attempt to promote one's own piety.

Songs for the Liturgy

Again We Keep This Solemn Fast (1,G) WOR 420/WC 505/CBW 352/RS 559/WS/HG 158/PMB 233/JS 394

Ashes GC 883/GP 340/BB/JS 374/RS 957

Attende Domine (1,Ps,Lat-Eng) WOR 414/WC 507/GC 387/RS 552/BB/WS/PMB 239/JS 378

*Be Reconciled as One (2) GP 469

Broken Cisterns Walled in Stone (1,Ps,G) JS 385

Change Our Hearts (1,G) GP 349/GC 394/MI-BB

*Deep Within, v 3 (1) GC 399/RS 546

Dust and Ashes GC 381/RS 539

Eternal Lord of Love (1) GC 385/JS 390/CBW 360/RS 554

Forgive Our Sins (2) WOR 754/CBW 620/WC 660/BB/JS 556/GC 879/RS 952/PMB 324

From Ashes to the Living Font WC 508/RS 561/WS/PMB 236

From the Depths of Sin and Sadness (Ps) WC 520/CBW 487

From the Depths We Cry to Thee (Ps) JS 386/BB

*Give Me a New Heart (Ps) SP3 44

Grant to Us, O Lord (1,G) WC 662/CBW 621/RS 558/WS/PMB 329

*Have Mercy, Lord, on Us (Ps) WOR 753/CBW 358/PMB 328

Hold Us in Your Mercy (Ps) BB/GC 398/GP 350

Hosea (1) WC 663/MI-BB/GC 386/JS 559/GP 471/WS/PMB 327

I Will Be Your God (1) BB/JS 383

In These Days of Lenten Journey (1) BB/JS 392

It Shocked Them That the Master Did Not Fast (G) WOR 637

Jesus, the New Covenant (2) WC 719

Lead Me, Guide Me (1) LMGM 168/GC 574/WC 770/RS 712/WS/PMB 397

*Led by the Spirit (1) BB

*Let Justice Roll Like a River (1,G) GC 716

O Lord, Heal Us (1,Ps) BB

O Merciful Redeemer (1,Ps) CBW 369

*O Sun of Justice (2) WOR 424/CBW 371/RS 544

*Parce Domine (1, Lat-Eng) WOR 416/WC 504/BB/JS 376/GC 383/RS 549/WS/PMB 228

Remember Your Love (1,Ps) GC 881/GP 474/MI-BB/RS 550/JS 561

Remember Your Mercy, Lord (1,Ps) GC 885/MI-BB/GP 476

*Return to God (1,2) GC 389/RS 555/WC 513/WS

Return to Me (1) GP 347

Return to the Lord Your God (1) GP 472

Save Your People (1,Ps) GP 341/BB

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (Ps) LMGM 47

*Signed by Ashes (Ps) BB 119/JS 375

Somebody's Knocking at Your Door (1) LMGM 34/WOR 415/GC 395/RS 547/GP 354/WC 515/WS/JS 388

*This Is Our Accepted Time (2) WC 516/PMB 231

*This Is the Time (2) RS 556

This Season Calls Us (1,2) JS 382/BB

Though the Mountains May Fall (1,2) GC 602/CBW 665/MI-BB/JS 715/GP 605

Turn to Me (1) JS 377/MI-BB/GP 342

*Wash Me, Cleanse Me (Ps) GC 400

We Are Called (1,G) GC 718/RS 820/WC 781/WS

What Does the Lord Require (G) WOR 624/RS 785

Without Seeing You (1,G) GC 844

*Yes, I Shall Arise -- Deiss (Ps) WC 668/WS/PMB 325