Tag: ash wednesday

…And Forgive Us

We cry to you, Lord, have mercy on us,
and forgive us.

King of Heaven and eternal Lord, receive the prayer we pour out before you,
and forgive us.

Visit the sick, release the captives, help the widow and the orphan,
and forgive us.

We have sinned and have turned from you. Redeemer of all, save us,
and forgive us.

Have mercy on the penitent, and wash away the stains of sin,
and forgive us.

Source: Mozarabic Breviary, 166. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Litany of Repentance

Christ, pitying Redeemer of souls, listen to the sighing of those who mourn,
and have mercy.

Lord, hear to your Church, and grant forgiveness to all we pray for,
and have mercy.

Remember that we are but dust and will return again to the earth. Refashion us for good,
and have mercy.

Forgive the sinner, restore captives to their country, and answer the prayers of all,
and have mercy.

Forgive our guilt, forgive our sins, forgive the debts of all, to all grant pardon,
and have mercy.

Source: Mozarabic Breviary, 418, Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Ash Wednesday Collect

Lord Jesus Christ,
because of your love for humanity
you took on yourself the form of a servant,
although you are our Lord.
You walk like a wounded man,
although you are our Physician.
Raise us from our falls,
enlighten our blindness,
and loosen the chains of sins that have bound us;
you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Leofric Missal, 182, shortened. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Litany Prayer for Ash Wednesday 2

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father…

Together let us pray to the Most High, that he would mercifully grant peace in our days. Amen.

That he would add deeds of love to our faith and hope. Amen.

That we may be received into the company of those above. Amen.

Source: Roman Missal, i. 161. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Ash Wednesday Litany

Let us clothe ourselves in sackcloth and ashes, and let us fast and weep before the Lord, for our God is very merciful, and will forgive our sins:

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Let the servants of the Lord weep before the altar and say, “Spare, Lord, spare your people, and do not put to shame the lips that praise you.”

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Let us amend the sins which we have ignorantly committed, that we do not receive God’s grace in vain, but know this as the time of God’s favor and the day of salvation.

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Help us, God of our salvation, and for the glory of your name deliver us, Lord.

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Remember, mortal, that you are dust, and to dust you will return:

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Source: Roman Missal, i. 48; cf. Sarum Manual, 134. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Reference to 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 added.

Litany Prayer for Ash Wednesday 1

Pleasant is this present life, and it passes;
Christ, your Judgment is awesome, and it prevails.
Therefore let us forsake uncertain love, and think of your infinite holiness, crying:
Lord, have mercy on us.

“Come, and return to me,” says the Lord.
Come, let us explore and examine our ways. Let us return to the Lord and say:
You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Source: Ambrosian Manual, ii. 119, 120, shortened. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Reference to Lamentations 3:40 added.

Your Compassion is Boundless

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Almighty, merciful God, heavenly Father,
your compassion is boundless.
You are patient, gracious,
and are rich in love and faithfulness.
You forgive rebellion, trespasses and sin.
We have sinned and have become evil,
and have often angered you.
Against you alone have we sinned
and done evil in your sight.
But Lord,
do not think about our past misdeeds.
Let your great mercy be on us,
for we are in great need.
Help us, God of our Salvation.
Redeem us and forgive our sins
for the glory of your most holy name,
and for the sake of your beloved Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.

Source: Pomeranian Agenda, in Gebetbuch, enthaltend …, #591. Translated for A Collection of Prayers.

Original in German:

O allmächtiger, barmherziger Gott und himmlischer Vater, deß Barmherzigkeit kein Ende ist, der du langmüthig, gnädig und von großer Güte und Treue bist, und vergiebst die Missethat, Uebertretung und Sünde: wir haben mißgehandelt und sind gottlos gewesen, und haben dich oft erzürnet, an dir allein haben wir gefündiget und übel vor dir gethan; aber, Herr, gedenke nicht an unsre vergangene Missethat, laß bald deine Barmherzigkeit über uns größer fein, denn wir sind elend geworden. Hilf uns, Gott unsers Heils, errette uns und vergieb uns unsre Sünde um der
Ehre deines allerheiligsten Namens willen, und von wegen deines allerliebsten Sohnes, unsers Heilandes Jesu Christi, der mit dir lebet und regieret in Einigkeit des heiligen Geistes, ein wahrer Gott, immer und in Ewigkeit. Amen.

Pommersche Agende.

You Have No Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked

O almighty, eternal and merciful God,
by your beloved Son,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
you have established the kingdom of grace for us
in your holy Church on earth
that we might believe the forgiveness of our sins.
Since you are a God
who has no pleasure in the death of the wicked,
but that they turn from their ways and live,
graciously forgive us all our sins;
through your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.

Source: Veit Dietrich, d. 1549, Trinity 26

Source of this version: The Collects of Veit Dietrich in Contemporary English © 2016 Paul C. Stratman

This revision/translation of The Collects of Veit Dietrich is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

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You Hate Nothing You Have Made

Almighty and eternal God,
you hate nothing you have made
and you forgive the sins of those who are penitent.
Create in us new and contrite hearts
that we truly repent of our sins,
acknowledge our wretchedness,
and obtain perfect forgiveness from you,
the God of all mercy;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

Source: Historic Collect for Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, 1549

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