ASH WEDNESDAY
February 22, 2023
FEAST OF SAINT POLYCARP – 23rd FEBRUARY
February 23, 2023
22 February, 2023
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning – Joel 2:12
Abba Father, you are Righteous and Merciful, Steadfast in your love, forgiving all our trespasses, for you understand the fragility and fickleness of human nature. Father, you sent Jesus to the world and his sacrificial death saved us from sin and eternal destruction and doom. It was we, who condemned him, crucified him and nailed him to the Cross of our sins. Such is your mercy Lord, that you forgave us then and are ready to forgive all the truly penitent.
Father, our Lord Jesus showed us the extent of your love and calls us to follow him in forgiving all those offending us, and to seek you with purity and holiness to attain your grace and your favor, for your unconditional love is impartial and can be obtained by all who follow the truth of your Holy Word and impart it to those who approach you in faith, in humility and with absolute obedience.
God of Compassion, help us amend our ways and always work towards attaining the perfection for which we have been created. We need to shed all hypocrisy and cultivate a spirit of reverence and timidity, showing true repentance. By prayer and retribution, by fasting and by keeping away from perversions and developing the virtues which will gain your favor, we can be confident of your unchanging promise to us, to be dealt with justice, and obtain the gift of eternal salvation in Jesus’ Name. Amen
