Here is another Lenten prayer (structured for use with Anglican prayer beads):

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Fr. Wayne

Dear Brethren,

Here are two helpful Lenten prayers that may be used throughout the entire season:

Our prayer book enjoins us to pray this prayer daily:

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing
that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all
those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and
contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and
acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the
God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And of course the famous prayer of St. Ephrem intended to be used several times each day throughout Lent.  The original was written in Greek so I have included just a few alternate translations of some words though I prefer the bolded ones:

O Lord and Master of my life! Keep from me the spirit of sloth [indifference]  and faint-heartedness [discouragement], lust of power and idle talk [chatter]. {then position the body with kneeling or prostration}

But give rather the spirit of chastity [integrity, wholeness of being], humility [humble-mindedness], patience, and love to Thy servant. {then position the body with kneeling or prostration}

Yea, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors [faults] and not to judge my brother; For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. {then position the body with kneeling or prostration}

Lenten blessings as we experience together the Church’s Springtime,

Fr. Wayne

I found this and thought it might have some helpful things:

Helping Little Children with Lent

Blessings,

Fr. Wayne

Here is a simple explanation about Ash Wednesday.

Blessings as we look forward…..

Fr. Wayne

P.S.  Look here for Lenten prayers and meditations. (Look at tags for Lent and Lenten Prayers.  I will be adding more this year.

This is a wonderful place to start: Prayer of St. Ephrem

Ash Wednesday

The First Day of Lent

What is Lent?

The word ‘Lent’ comes from the old Saxon name for the month of ‘March.’ The Christian Church has observed the forty days before Easter as a time of corporate and individual self-examination, a time of mourning for our sins, of repentance, and fasting. Lent is the season where we might find ourselves like the prodigal son, finding our way home, returning to a more committed relationship with the Lord and His people, a time of spiritual renewal. It is a time where we (individually, as families, as parishes) face more deliberately all our unfaithfulness and failures. It is a time of fasting to remind us that our deepest hunger is for God and Him alone. It is a time of removing impediments to godliness, godly love and the coming of the Kingdom which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Church calendar. It is Ash Wednesday because it always begins forty days before Easter Sunday not counting Sundays and that is always a Wednesday. Lord’s Day worship is a celebration of the Resurrection and therefore not a fast day. It is Ash Wednesday because on that day Christians have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross. It is also a day of fasting beginning forty days of fasting. The forty days reminds us of the fast of Jesus as he prepared for His ministry which resulted in His suffering and death for our sins.

Is Ash Wednesday based on a pagan festival?

Heck no! Ash Wednesday originated in the A.D. 900’s long after Europe had been Christianized and pagan cults had all but disappeared.

So what’s with the ashes anyway?

Ashes are a Biblical symbol of mourning and repentance. The ancient custom was to fast, wear sackcloth, sit in dust and ashes, and put dust and ashes on one’s head (see 1 Samuel 4:12, 2 Samuel 1:20, 13:19, 15:32, etc.). Anymore, not too many people wear sackcloth or sit in dust and ashes, but the custom of fasting and putting ashes on one’s forehead as a sign of humility, mourning, and repentance have survived to this day. Ashes also remind that out of the fires of testing and judgment come God’s forgiveness, restoration, and healing; that God will bring good from our adversity, that out of difficulties come new possibilities.

Why are ashes put on the forehead?

Ezekiel 9:4-6 “…and Yahweh said to him [the man in linen], “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark [literally a ‘tav’-see below] on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it. To the other He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

‘Tav’ is one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which in ancient script, looked much like the Greek letter chi , an ‘X’ or cross shape. This happens to be the first letter in the Greek word for ‘Christ’ or Christos. Church leaders noticed the tav/chi/Christos/cross connection and settled on its symbolic use in placing oil on believer’s foreheads at baptism, during prayers for healing, and of course, with ashes on Ash Wednesday.

Notice in Ezekiel the mark is placed on those who mourn for their individual and corporate sins. This is the same mark in mind in Revelation when the servants of God are sealed in it:

(Revelation 7:3) “…saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”

(Revelation 9:4) “They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

(Revelation 14:1) “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Is there another significance to the ashes?

Yes. They symbolize death and so remind us of our mortality. When the minister uses his thumb to sign someone with ashes he says, “Remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.” This is modeled after God’s address to Adam in Genesis 3:19: “In the sweat of our face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (cf. Job 34:15, Psalms 90:3, 104:29, Ecclesiastes 3:20). This also echoes the words spoken at a burial, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Abraham’s confession was, “I am nothing but dust and ashes.” This reminder of our mortality motivates us to repent of our sins, especially before we face our judge.

Where do the ashes used on Ash Wednesday come from?

They are usually made by burning the palm fronds which have been saved from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.

Why are the ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday used?

Palm Sunday was when the people rejoiced at Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem. They celebrated his arrival by waving palms fronds, little realizing that He was coming to die for their sins. Using Palm Sunday palms reminds us that Jesus went to Jerusalem to die for us and endure God’s wrath for our sins so that we might have eternal life. He was hailed as King by the crowds with palms during this Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem yet five days later crucified as, in the great ugliness of sin, the same crowds shouted, “Crucify Him!” In considering the horror of our sin, our shame and mourning lead us to the Resurrection hope and new life.

Are we required as Christians to observe Ash Wednesday and participate in the service?

Ultimately, no. There are no special feast days or ceremonies God commands us to keep in the New Covenant besides Baptism, Holy Communion, ordination, and marriage. However, the Church has yearly called the Church to this fast for over a millenium. Also, the symbolism of this day is rich for us as Christians and can be of great benefit to us (individually and corporately) in maintaining a closer relationship with our Lord.

This is always a fun time of fellowship for our parish!

Today we we stand just two days from  Holy Lent, the Church’s great Fast, which leads us to Holy Week and the Resurrection.

The idea is to truly fast.  The very old tradition is to abstain from animal products and sweets (hence Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner getting rid of butter and eggs).  Also, we might consider the number of meals eaten and the quantity of food we eat.  One ancient guideline suggests we never eat to the point of feeling entirely full.

St John Chrysostom wrote, “the fast should be kept not by mouth alone but also by the eye, the ear, the feet, the hands and all the members of the body.” In addition to our abstinence from food Lent is a time to put away other things that master us and distract us from the enterprise of godly devotion and living.

St Basil, summarizing thoughts in Isiah 58 says, “You do not eat meat, but you devour your brother.”  We must repent from gossip, cruel criticism, slander. Let us cease from self-indulgent nursing of grudges, resentments, jealousies and the the like and be reconciled to one another.

I write today to help us thoughtfully determine our Lenten intentions and land on point Ash Wednesday when our fasts begin.

Blessings on this Shrove Monday,

Fr. Wayne

This photo is a life size statue in Dublin’s Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Since this day is still very popular in our culture I thought you would like to know something of the saint for which it is named.

Blessings,

Fr. Wayne

The basic history:

The ancient martyrology of the Church of Rome marks February 14th as the remembrance of “the martyr Valentinus, presbyter of Rome” (Valentinus mean “vigorous” and touches the ideas of worthy, strong, powerful.

St. Valetinus (Valentine) was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II the Goth, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside theFlaminian Gate in A.D. 269

The following story is frequently told:

Saint Valentine lived in Rome in the third century and was a priest who helped the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II the Goth. The great virtue and catechetical activities of the saint had become familiar. For this he was arrested and brought before the imperial court.

“Why, Valentine, do you want to be a friend of our enemies and reject our friendship?” asked the emperor.

Then the saint replied

“My lord, if you knew the gift of God, you would be happy together with your empire and would reject the worship of idols and worship the true God and His Son Jesus Christ.”

One of these judges stopped the saint and asked him what he thought about Jupiter and Mercury, and St. Valentine boldly replied,

“They are miserable, and spent their lives through corruption and crime!”

The judge furiously shouted,

“He blasphemes against the gods and against the empire!”

The emperor, however, continued his questions with curiosity, and found a welcome opportunity to finally learn what was the faith of Christians. Valentine then found the courage to urge him to repent for the blood of the Christians that was shed.

“Believe in Jesus Christ, be baptized and you will be saved, and from this time forward the glory of your empire will be ensured as well as the triumph of your armory.”

Claudius became convinced, and said to those who were present:

“What a beautiful teaching this man preaches.”

But the mayor of Rome, dissatisfied, began to shout:

“See how this Christian misleads our Prince.”

Then Claudius brought the saint to another judge. He was called Asterios, and he had a little girl who was blind for two years. Listening about Jesus Christ, that He is the Light of the World, he asked Valentine if he could give that light to his child. St. Valentine put his hand on her eyes and prayed:

“Lord Jesus Christ, true Light, illuminate this blind child.”

Oh the great miracle! The child saw! So the judge with all his family confessed Christ. Having fasted for three days, he destroyed the idols that were in the house and finally received holy baptism.

When the emperor heard about all these events, he initially thought not to punish them, but thought that in the eyes of citizens he will look weak, which forced him to betray his sense of justice. So St. Valentine along with other Christians, after they were tortured, were beheaded on 14 February in the year 268 (or 269).

And also this:

The Saint had a reputation as a peacemaker, and one day while cultivating some roses from his garden, he heard a couple quarrel very vigorously. This shocked the Saint, who then cut a rose and approached the couple asking them to hear him. Even though they were dispirited, they obeyed the Saint and afterwards were offered a rose that blessed them. Immediately the love returned between them, and later they returned and asked the Saint to bless their marriage. Another tradition says that one of the charges against Valentine was that he did not adhere to the command of the emperor which stated that men who had not fulfilled their military obligations were not allowed to marry; meanwhile the Saint had blessed the marriage of young Christian soldiers with their beloveds.

Besides all this, the likely choice of him as the “saint of lovers” is to be associated with the pagan festival of Lupercalia, a fertility festival, celebrated by the Romans on February 15. Others connect the celebration of this feast with the mating season of birds during this period. Certainly, however, the Saint has nothing to do with the commercialism (marketing) of flowers, gifts and secular centers which trivialize Eros, this great gift of God.

I want to tell you that my wife, Mary Neal, successfully went through the surgery to put a coil in the aneurysm in her brain. It was a trying time for all of us, but the Lord sent His Guardian Angels to watch over her and the surgical team. He is a good God!!! She was in the OSU Hospital, and had been kept overnight in the ICU for observation.

I brought her home Thursday afternoon. She was feeling some soreness and was exhausted, but now she is resting and feeling a lot better.

Thank you for all your concerns and prayers. They meant a lot to us.