Ash Wednesday St. Paul’s Church, Charlottetown, PEI March 5, 2025

 
Ash Wednesday
St. Paul’s Church, Charlottetown, PEI
March 5, 2025

Preludes: Meditation George Oldroyd; Lento Frank Bridge
 
The Gathering of the Community
On this day the liturgy begins as follows:
The Lord be with you.
        And also with you.
Silence.
 
The Collect
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, you despise nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our brokenness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
 
175 Forty Days and Forty Nights
 
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
A Reading form the Book of the Prophet Joel
Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near - a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come. Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
        Thanks be to God
 
Psalm 103:8-18
Refrain: The Lord remembers that we are but dust.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. He will not always accuse us, nor will he keep his anger for ever. R He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. R  As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us. As a father cares for his children, so does the Lord care for those who fear him. R  For he himself knows whereof we are made; he remembers that we are but dust. Our days are like the grass; we flourish like a flower of the field;  When the wind goes over it, it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.  But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever on those who fear him, and his righteousness on children's children;  On those who keep his covenant and remember his commandments and do them. R
 
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
A Reading form the Second Letter of Paul
to the Corinthians
We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see - we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
        Thanks be to God
 
Anthem: Lead Me, Lord (S.S. Wesley)
 
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
The Lord be with you
        And also with you
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
        Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
The Gospel of Christ.
        Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon: Archdeacon John Clarke
 
The Imposition of Ashes
Dear friends in Christ, every year at the time of the Christian Passover we celebrate our redemption through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent is a time to prepare for this celebration and to renew our life in the paschal mystery. We begin this holy season by remembering our need for repentance, and for the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
We begin our journey to Easter with the sign of ashes, an ancient sign, speaking of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and marking the penitence of the community as a whole.
 
I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God. Let us kneel before our Creator and Redeemer.
 
Silence is then kept for reflection.
 
Psalm 51.1–18
Refrain: Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness; in your great compassion blot out my offences. Wash me through and through from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. R And so you are justified when you speak and upright in your judgement. Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, a sinner from my mother’s womb. For behold, you look for truth deep within me, and will make me understand wisdom secretly. Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me, and I shall be clean indeed. R Make me hear of joy and gladness, that the body you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. R Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. I shall teach your ways to the wicked, and sinners shall return to you. Deliver me from death, O God, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness, O God of my salvation. Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, but you take no delight in burnt-offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. R
 
Litany of Penitence
The celebrant and people say together,
Most holy and merciful Father, we confess to you, to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
 
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
        Have mercy on us, Lord.
We have been deaf to your call to serve as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
        Have mercy on us, Lord.
We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
        We confess to you, Lord.
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people,
        We confess to you, Lord.
Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
        We confess to you, Lord.
Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work,
        We confess to you, Lord.
Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us,
        We confess to you, Lord.
Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,
        Accept our repentance, Lord.
For all false judgements, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbours, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
        Accept our repentance, Lord.
For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
        Accept our repentance, Lord.
Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us;
        Hear us, Lord, for your mercy is great.
Almighty God, from the dust of the earth you have created us. May these ashes be for us a sign of our mortality and penitence, and a reminder that only by your gracious gift are we given eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
 
Those who desire to receive ashes come forward, and the ashes are applied to the forehead of each person with the following words.
        Remember you are dust,
        and to dust you shall return.
After all who desire ashes have received them, the celebrant leads the congregation in the conclusion of the confession, all kneeling.
 
Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation,
        That we may show forth your glory
        in the world.
By the cross and passion of your Son, our Lord,
        Bring us with all your saints
        to the joy of his resurrection.
 
The priest stands and, facing the people, says,
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
 
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
        And also with you.
 
180 Giver of the Perfect Gift
 
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Merciful God, turn us from sin to faithfulness.  Accept our offering, and prepare us to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ our Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you now and for ever.  Amen.
 
Eucharistic Prayer 3
The Lord be with you.
        And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
        We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
        It is right to give our thanks and praise.
 
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth, because you bid your faithful people to cleanse their hearts and to prepare with joy for the paschal feast; that reborn through the waters of baptism and renewed in the eucharistic mystery, we may be more fervent in prayer and more generous in the works of love.
 
Therefore we raise our voices to you in praise to proclaim the glory of your name. 
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
 
We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son.
 
For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
 
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
 
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
 
Therefore, Father, according to his command,
we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
 
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
 
In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;
 
by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread,
        Communion in Christ’s body once broken.
Let your Church be the wheat
which bears its fruit in dying.
       If we have died with him,
       we shall live with him;
       if we hold firm,
       we shall reign with him.
The gifts of God for the people of God
        Thanks be to God
 
Lamb of God
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world: grant us your peace.
 
Hymns during Communion
Change My Heart O God
 
The Scattering (Mark 4:20)
Change My Heart O God
 
The Scattering
The Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
God of compassion, through your Son Jesus Christ you reconciled your people to yourself.  Following his example of prayer and fasting, may we obey you with willing hearts and serve one another in holy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
The Blessing
May the God of mercy transform you by his grace, and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
 
564 Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
 
Scattering
Go forth in the name of Christ.
        Thanks be to God.