Ash Wednesday @ Home
As we can't gather in church this Ash Wednesday, Cardinal Vincent Nichols has provided some suggestions as to how we might celebrate the beginning of Lent at home.
Gather together and start with the Sign of the Cross.
Read the Gospel for today. It is from St Matthew’s Gospel, 6: 1-6 and 16-18.
Say together our Lenten prayer for this year:
Lord God,
With all our hearts we beseech you: have mercy on your people; spare your people;
strengthen all people in the struggle against the havoc of this pandemic.
Lord our God, without you we are so weak and our courage so limited.
Give us your strength; give us your love; give us wisdom and skill to continue this fight.
Spare your people, O Lord we pray.
Comfort those who mourn and gather into your kingdom all who have died.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, who died and rose to life,
who lives and reigns with you, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Make the Sign of the Cross on each other’s forehead, using the words you choose from: ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’. Or: ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel’.
Pray together: the Our Father; the Hail Mary; each one with his or her own prayer or intention.
Conclude with the ‘Glory be to the Father…’
Give each other a sign of peace.
For more information and resources please visit the Bishops' Conference website:
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/lent-2021/ash-wednesday/