INTROIT
Ps 26:8-9
To You my heart speaks; You my glance seeks; Your presence, O Lord, I seek. Hide not Your face from me.
Ps 26:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
Glory Be to the Father…
To You my heart speaks; You my glance seeks; Your presence, O Lord, I seek. Hide not Your face from me.
COLLECT
Mercifully help us, O Lord, to fulfill this holy observance, that by Your grace we may carry out those things which we have learned, on Your word, must be done.
Through our Lord…
EPISTLE
Lesson from the Book of Kings
3 Kings 17:8-16
In those days, the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying, Arise, and go to Sarepta of the Sidonians, and dwell there: for I have commanded a widow woman there to feed you. He arose, and went to Sarepta. And when he was come to the gate of the city, he saw the widow woman gathering sticks, and he called her, and said to her, Give me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And when she was going to fetch it, he called after her, saying, Bring me also, I beseech you, a morsel of bread in your hand. And she answered, As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, but only a handful of meal in a pot, and a little oil in a cruse. Behold I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elias said to her, Fear not, but go and do as you have said; but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth-cake, and bring it to me; and after make for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: ‘The pot of meal shall not waste, nor the cruse of oil be diminished, until the day wherein the Lord will give rain upon the face of the earth.’ She went, and did according to the word of Elias; and he ate, and she, and her house; and from that day the pot of meal wasted not, and the cruse of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke in the hand of Elias.
GRADUAL
Ps 54:23, 17-19.
Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will support you.
℣. When I called upon the Lord, He heard my voice from those who war against me.
GOSPEL
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 23:1-12
At that time, Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying, The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the chair of Moses. All things, therefore, that they command you, observe and do. But do not act according to their works; for they talk but do nothing. And they bind together heavy and oppressive burdens, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but not with one finger of their own do they choose to move them. In fact, all their works they do in order to be seen by men; for they widen their phylacteries, and enlarge their tassels, and love the first places at suppers and the front seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the market place, and to be called by men ‘Rabbi.’ But do not you be called ‘Rabbi’; for one is your Master, and all you are brothers. And call no one on earth your father; for one is your Father, Who is in heaven. Neither be called masters; for one only is your Master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
OFFERTORY
Ps 50:3
Have mercy on me, O Lord, in the greatness of Your compassion; O Lord, wipe out my offense.
SECRET
Through this sacrament, O Lord, graciously perform Your holy work, that it may cleanse us of earthly vices and bring us to heavenly rewards.
Through our Lord…
PREFACE
Lent
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who by this bodily fast, dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds and bestow on us strength and rewards; through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise:
COMMUNION
Ps 9:2-3
I will declare all Your wondrous deeds; I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, Most High.
POSTCOMMUNION
Grant us, O Lord, ever to obey Your commandments, that we may be worthy of Your sacred gifts.
Through our Lord…
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Prayer over the people
Let us pray.
Bow your heads to God.
Mercifully heed our humble prayers, O Lord, and heal the weakness of our souls, that having obtained forgiveness, we may ever rejoice in Your blessing.
Through our Lord…