Sarx

Note the parts that are repeated daily on the Ash Wednesday Post

Today’s Station: San Sisto Vecchio

Missa: EGO AUTEM

INTROIT: Psalm 30:7-8
But I will hope in the Lord: I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast regarded my humility. Ps. In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in Thy justice and rescue me. V. Glory be to the Father.

COLLECT:
Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that disciplined by wholesome fasting, and abstaining from all vices, we may more easily gain forgiveness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen

(Other Collects on the Ash Wednesday Post)

EPISTLE: Exodus 20:12-24
Thus saith the Lord God: Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which ADONAI your God is giving you. “Do not murder. “Do not commit adultery. “Do not steal. “Do not give false evidence against your neighbor. “Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” All the people experienced the thunder, the lightning, the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled. Standing at a distance, they said to Moshe, “You, speak with us; and we will listen. But don’t let God speak with us, or we will die.” Moshe answered the people, “Don’t be afraid, because God has come only to test you and make you fear him, so that you won’t commit sins.” So the people stood at a distance, but Moshe approached the thick darkness where God was. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Here is what you are to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘You yourselves have seen that I spoke with you from heaven. You are not to make with me gods of silver, nor are you to make gods of gold for yourselves. For me you need make only an altar of earth; on it you will sacrifice your burnt offerings, peace offerings, sheep, goats and cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you.

GRADUAL: Psalm 6:3-4
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord. V. All my bones are troubled: and my soul is troubled exceedingly.

TRACT: Psalm 120: 10
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V. (Ps. 78: 8-9) O Lord, remember not our former iniquities: let Thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor.
(Here all kneel down) Help Us, O Lord our Saviour: and for the glory of Thy name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins for Thy name’s sake.

GOSPEL: Matthew 15:1-20
At that time some P’rushim and Torah-teachers from Yerushalayim came to Yeshua and asked him, “Why is it that your talmidim break the Tradition of the Elders? They don’t do n’tilat-yadayim before they eat!” He answered, “Indeed, why do you break the command of God by your tradition? For God said, `Honor your father and mother,’ and `Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say, `If anyone says to his father or mother, “I have promised to give to God what I might have used to help you,” then he is rid of his duty to honor his father or mother.’ Thus by your tradition you make null and void the word of God! You hypocrites! Yesha`yahu was right when he prophesied about you, `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’” Then he called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand this! What makes a person unclean is not what goes into his mouth; rather, what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean!” The talmidim came to him and said, “Do you know that the P’rushim were offended by what you said?” He replied, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Let them be. They are blind guides. When a blind man guides another blind man, both will fall in a pit.” Kefa said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” So he said, “Don’t you under stand even now? Don’t you see that anything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and passes out into the latrine? But what comes out of your mouth is actually coming from your heart, and that is what makes a person unclean. For out of the heart come forth wicked thoughts, murder, adultery and other kinds of sexual immorality, theft, lies, slanders… These are what really make a person unclean, but eating without doing n’tilat-yadayim does not make a person unclean.”

A Homily on the Gospel Passage From Matins for the Day
by St. Jerome the Priest

Wondrous stupidity of the scribes and Pharisees! They rebuke the Son of God because he doth not observe the traditions and commandments of men, saying of his disciples : They wash not their hands when they eat bread. It behoveth us to cleanse, not the hands of the body, but the hands of the soul, namely, our works, that the word of God may be fulfilled in them. But he answered and said unto them : Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your Tradition? Thus he meeteth here their false accusation by a true. It is as if he had said : Ye who pass over the commandments of God, in order to keep to the traditions of men, ought not to rebuke my disciples, because they deem the Tradition of the elders of little moment in comparison with the doing of what they know to be the will of God.

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and thy mother : and, He that curseth his father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother : It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me : and honour not his father of his mother, he shall be free. The word Honour is used in Scripture, not so much in the sense of rendering courtesies and services, as in that of giving alms and gifts. Honour widows, saith the Apostle, which are widows indeed. And here honour signifieth support. So again, Let the presbyters that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the Word and doctrine ; for the Scripture saith : Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn : and : The labourer is worthy of his hire.

The Lord, being mindful of the helplessness or old age or poverty of parents, gave commandment that children are to honour them by ministering to their necessities. The scribes and Pharisees scrupled not to make of none effect this prudent law, and to encourage ungodliness under the form of godliness. For they taught, for the benefit of unnatural children, that if any were to vow unto God (who is our true Father in heaven) the wherewithal of support to his parents, the duty of discharging his debt to his heavenly Father ought to come before that which he owed to his earthly father ; or, at least, that parents in such case incurred the guilt of sacrilege by taking for themselves what they knew had been made a gift to God. And so parents were left unsuccoured, and the offerings of such children, under pretence of being given to God and his temple, became the gain of the priests.

OFFERTORY: Psalm 103:21
O Lord, be merciful to me for Thy name’s sake: because Thy mercy is sweet.

SECRET:
Receive, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy people with the oblation of sacrifice: and defend us from all dangers, we who celebrate Thy mysteries. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen

(Other Secrets on the Ash Wednesday Post)

The PREFACE for Lent is found on the Ash Wednesday Post

COMMUNION: Psalm 15:11
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: Thou shalt fill me with joy with Thy countenance, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION:
May the heavenly table of which we have partaken, sanctify us, O Lord, and purifying us from all errors, render us worthy of heavenly promises. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen

(Other Postcommunion Prayers on the Ash Wednesday Post)

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we who seek the grace of Thy protection, being delivered from all evils, may serve Thee with a quiet mind. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen