INTROIT
Ps 90:15-16
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will deliver him and glorify him; with length of days I will gratify him.
Ps 90:1
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Glory Be to the Father…
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will deliver him and glorify him; with length of days I will gratify him.
COLLECT
O God, You Who purify Your Church by the yearly Lenten observance, grant to Your household that what they strive to obtain from You by abstinence, they may achieve by good works.
Through our Lord…
EPISTLE
A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
2 Cor. 6:1-10
Brethren: We entreat you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation! We give no offense to anyone, that our ministry may not be blamed. On the contrary, let us conduct ourselves in all circumstances as God’s ministers, in much patience; in tribulations, in hardships, in distresses; in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults; in labors, in sleepless nights, in fastings; in innocence, in knowledge, in long-sufferings; in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unaffected love; in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the armor of justice on the right hand and on the left; in honor and dishonor, in evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet truthful, as unknown and yet well known, as dying, and behold, we live, as chastised but not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet enriching many, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
GRADUAL
Ps 90:11-12
To His angels God has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.
℣. Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Tractus
Ps 90:1-7, 11-16.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
℣. Say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust.
℣. For He will rescue you from the snare of the fowler, from the destroying pestilence.
℣. With His pinions He will cover you, and under His wings you shall take refuge.
℣. His faithfulness is a buckler and a shield; you shall not fear the terror of the night.
℣. Nor the arrow that flies by day; nor the pestilence that roams in darkness; nor the devastating plague at noon.
℣. Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right side, near you it shall not come.
℣. For to His angels He has given command about you, that they may guard you in all your ways.
℣. Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
℣. You shall tread upon the asp and the viper; you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
℣. Because he clings to Me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges My name.
℣. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress.
℣. I will deliver him and glorify him; with length of days I will gratify him and will show him My salvation.
GOSPEL
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 4:1-11
At that time, Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread. But He answered and said, It is written, ‘Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took Him into the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He has given His angels charge concerning You; and upon their hands they shall bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, It is written further, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. And he said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan, for it is written, ‘The Lord your God shall you worship and Him only shall you serve.’ Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
OFFERTORY
Ps 90:4-5
With His pinions the Lord will cover you, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His faithfulness is a buckler and a shield.
SECRET
We offer these sacrificial gifts at the beginning of Lent, praying You, O Lord, that while we practice restraint in the use of bodily food, we may also refrain from harmful pleasures.
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 90:4-5
With His pinions the Lord will cover you, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His faithfulness is a buckler and a shield.
POSTCOMMUNION
May the holy offering of Your sacrament renew us, O Lord, and cause us to be purified from our old ways and come to the fellowship of this saving mystery.
Through our Lord…