Today’s Station at St Sabina.

ISERERIS Omnium

Introit
Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest none of the things which Thou hast made, overlooking the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them : because Thou art the Lord our God. (Psalm 56: 2). Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me : for my soul trusteth in Thee. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Repeat Thou has mercy…

Collects
Grant, O Lord, to Thy faithful people that they may begin the venerable solemnities of fasting with becoming piety, and may persevere to the end with steadfast devotion. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

Second Collect for intercession of the Saints (repeated daily)
Defend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all dangers of mind and body; that through the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, together with blessed Joseph, Thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and blessed N. (Here mention the titular saint of the church), and all the saints, mercifully grant us safety and peace; that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, World without end. Amen.

Third Collect for the Living and the Dead (repeated daily)
O almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over both the living and the dead, and hast mercy on all whom Thou foreknowest shall be Thine by faith and good works : we humbly beseech Thee that all for whom we have resolved to make supplication whether the present world still holds them in the flesh or the world to come has already received them out of the body, may, through the intercession of all Thy saints, obtain of Thy goodness and clemency pardon for all their sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

EPISTLE: Joel 2: 12-19
Lesson from the Prophet Joel. “Yet even now,” says ADONAI, “turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and lamenting.” Tear your heart, not your garments; and turn to ADONAI your God. For he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace, and willing to change his mind about disaster. Who knows? He may turn, change his mind and leave a blessing behind him, [enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings to present to ADONAI your God. “Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly.” Gather the people; consecrate the congregation; assemble the leaders; gather the children, even infants sucking at the breast; let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride the bridal chamber. Let the cohanim, who serve ADONAI, stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, ADONAI! Don’t expose your heritage to mockery, or make them a byward among the Goyim. Why should the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’” Then ADONAI will become jealous for his land and have pity on his people. Here is how ADONAI will answer his people: “I will send you grain, wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you; and no longer will I make you a mockery among the Goyim.

GRADUAL: Psalm 56: 2,4
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me : for my soul trusteth in Thee. V. He hath sent from heaven and delivered me : He hath made them a reproach that trod upon me.

The following tract is often on the Church’s lips during Lent. As the music to which it is sung shows, it is a suppliant appeal of man in his distress addressed to almighty God. This Tract is said from this day on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week till the Monday in Holy Week, with the exception of the Wednesday in Ember Week.

Tract
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V.( Psalm 78: 8, 9). O Lord, remember not our former iniquities, let Thy mercies speedily prevent us; for we are become exceeding poor. (Here kneel.) V. Help us, O God, our Savior, and for the glory of Thy name, O Lord, deliver us : and forgive us our sins for Thy name’s sake.

GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 16-21
“Now when you fast, don’t go around looking miserable, like the hypocrites. They make sour faces so that people will know they are fasting. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already! But you, when you fast, wash your face and groom yourself, so that no one will know you are fasting — except your Father, who is with you in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. “Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.

A Homily on the Gospel Passage From Matins for the Day
by St. Augustine the Bishop

From these precepts it is evident that our every action should be directed towards the attainment of an interior life, which alone giveth true happiness. For if contrariwise we seek our reward in outward things, we shall be conformed to the fashion of this world, and thus forfeit God’s promise of happiness, to wit, that we shall be conformed to the image of his Son. Such happiness, inasmuch as it concerneth inward things, is all the more certain and enduring. Howbeit, the special teaching of this passage is this : That vainglory can come forth, not only from worldly elegance and human pretensions, but even from a condition of sad countenance and dirty disfigurement. Furthermore, the latter kind of vainglory is the more dangerous, in that it deceiveth under the pretence of an humble service of God.

On the one hand, whosoever sheweth unbridled indulgence, whether in bodily comforts and dress, or in other forms of elegance, thereby standeth manifestly convicted as a follower of the pomps of this world. Nor doth such an one, by his pretence of godliness, deceive anybody. On the other hand, whosoever from choice, and not of necessity, professeth Christianity in such wise as to draw attention unto himself by reason of his seeming humility, or his particular disregard for outward things, this man is to be judged from the fashion of his other behaviour, as to whether therein he sheweth a desire for mortification, or rather for vainglory. For the Lord biddeth us beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Rather, as he saith, by their fruits shall ye know them.

Now here is the test of the seeming godliness of such folk. When some adversity bringeth upon them the loss of the advantages which they had gained, or sought to gain, by their profession of godliness, then it must needs appear whether they be wolves in sheep’s clothing, or sheep in their own. Nevertheless, a Christian should not seek to tickle the fancy of other folk by a parade of elegance, on the plea that hypocrites do seek to beguile the unwary by a display of frugality. For sheep should not lay aside their own clothing because wolves do sometimes falsely assume the same.

OFFERTORY: Psalm 29: 2-3
I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me, and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me : O Lord, I have cried to Thee, and Thou hast healed me.

SECRET
Do Thou, we beseech Thee, O Lord duly prepare us for the offering to these gifts, by which we celebrate the institution of this venerable sacrament. 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.

Second Secret to implore the Intercession of the Saints (repeated daily)
Graciously hear us, O God our Savior, and by the virtue of this sacrament protect us from all enemies of soul and body, bestowing on us both grace in this life and glory hereafter. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

Third Secret for the Living and the Dead (repeated daily)
O God, Who alone knowest the number of the elect to be admitted to the happiness of Heaven, grant, we beseech Thee, tht through the intercession of all Thy saints, the names of all who have been recommended to our prayers and of all the faithful, may be inscribed in the book of blessed predestination. Protect us, O Lord, who assist at Thy mysteries; that, fixed upon things divine we may serve Thee in both body and mind. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

PREFACE FOR 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.

COMMUNION: Psalm 1: 2,3
He that shall meditate day and night on the law of the Lord, shall bring forth his fruit in due season.

POSTCOMMUNION
Let us pray. May the sacraments which we have received afford us help, O Lord, that our fasts may be pleasing to Thee, and a profitable remedy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

Second Postcommunion to implore the Intercession of the Saints (repeated daily)
May the oblation of this divine sacrament cleanse and defend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, Thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, blessed N. (here mention the titular saint of the church), and all the saints, purify us from all our sins and deliver us from all adversity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

Third Postcommunion for the Living and the Dead (repeated daily)
May the sacraments which we have received purify us, we beseech Thee, O almighty and merciful Lord; and through the intercession of all Thy saints, grant that this Thy sacrament may not be unto us a condemnation, but a salutary intercession for pardon; may it be the washing away of sin, the strength of the weak, a protection against all dangers of the world, and a remission of all the sins of the faithful, whether living or dead. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Look down, O Lord, in Thy mercy, upon those who bow before Thy majesty; that they who are refreshed by Thy divine gift may ever be sustained by heavenly aid. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God World without end. Amen.