At the entry of the ministers THIS SENTENCE may be used.
The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart
you will not despise. Psalm 51.17
A HYMN, A CANTICLE, or a PSALM may be sung
The president welcomes the people.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all
All: and also with you.
In these or other subtle words, the president explains the meaning of Lent and invites the people to observe it faithfully.
Brothers and sisters in Christ: since early days Christians have observed
with great devotion the time of our Lord's passion and resurrection. It
became the custom of the Church to prepare for this by a season of
penitence and fasting.
At first this season of Lent was observed by those who were preparing for
Baptism at Easter and by those who were to be restored to the Church's
fellowship from which they had been separated through sin. In course
of time the Church came to recognize that, by careful keeping of these days,
all Christians might take to heart the call to repentance and the assurance of
forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in faith and in devotion
to our Lord.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a
holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, self-
denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy word.
The president says THE COLLECT.
Let us pray to keep Lent faithfully.
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent.
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
that, lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness,
we may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect forgiveness and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF THE
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT READING
Isaiah 58 1-8
At the end the reader may say
This is the word of the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 51.1--17
This response may be used --
Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Epistle
James 4.1-10
At the end the reader may say
This is the word of the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
A CANTICLE, A HYMN, or a PSALM may be used
Stand THE GOSPEL
When it is announced
Glory to Christ our Saviour.
Matthew 6.16--21
This is the Gospel of Christ
Praise to Christ our Lord.
Sit.
THE SERMON/ADDRESS/REFLECTION
THE LITURGY OF PENITENCE
President: Let us now call to mind our sin and the infinite mercy of God.
Kneel
The Litany
President: Give us true repentance;
forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance
and our deliberate sins;
and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit
to amend our lives according to you holy word.
Holy God,
holy and Strong,
holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.
President: Make our hearts clean, O God;
and renew a right spirit within us.
Father eternal, giver of light and grace,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,
in what we have thought,
in what we have said and done,
through ignorance, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault,
We have wounded your love,
and marred your image in us,
We are sorry and ashamed,
and we repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and lead us out from darkness
to walk as children of light. Amen
President: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.
Say together
God our Father,
the strength of all who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers;
and because, in our weakness,
we can do nothing good without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in keeping your commandments
we may please you, both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
President shall say
Lord our God,
grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart;
that so desiring, we may seek and find you;
and so loving, may hate those sins
from which you have delivered us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
The President may say THIS BLESSING.
Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
President: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
ALL: In the name of Christ. Amen.
President: Go in the peace of Christ.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
The ministers and people depart.
President: The Provost of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Aberdeen, The Very Rev'd Richard Kilgour.
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