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1.
ASH
WEDNESDAY:
Expulsion from the Garden |
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Repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1.15)
REPENTANCE:
TURNING TOWARDS GOD
TURNING AWAY FROM SIN
BELIEVING in the GOOD NEWS
THE INCARNATION,
PASSION and
RESURRECTION of
JESUS
for OUR
SALVATION
Remember that you are dust
and to dust you
shall return (Gen 3.19)
AWARENESS of the BEAUTY and VALUE
of the PRESENT MOMENT
in LIGHT of OUR MORTALITY
THE PRESENT MOMENT - SHERIDAN and PROSOCHE
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2.
THE
GOSPEL
of ASH
WEDNESDAY
Saint Lawrence Distributes Alms |
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First, we are given the ASSURANCE of CHRIST'S PRESENCE:
HE is the TEACHER WHO ARMS and CONSOLES US
HE gives us the tools we need:
PRAYER, FASTING, ALMSGIVING
and tells us to TAKE HEED (PROSECHE):
NOW is the KAIROS, the fitting time
All is done IN KRUPTO:
in the HIDDEN PLACE of our HEARTS WHERE HE DWELLS
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3.
THE
GOSPEL
of THE
FIRST
SUNDAY
of LENT
The Temptation of Christ |
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NEXT we observe the VICTORY of CHRIST
he undoes the ancient curses of:
demand for manna,
demand for KINGSHIP;
and substitution of public spectacle (heroic theater) for ACCOMPANIMENT;
We go with Christ into the Desert to see both
the proper end of our desires
and their misuse:
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4.
THE
GOSPEL
of THE
SECOND
SUNDAY
of LENT
The Transfigurations |
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4. FINALLY we discover HIM TO WHOM we TURN
by TURNING AWAY from SEPARATION
CHRIST'S GLORIOUS DIVINITY
consecrates OUR HUMANITY
CHRIST
COMES
to
HEAL
EVERYTHING
WITHIN
OUR
HEARTS
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The
Raising of Lazarus |
Istanbul, Chora Monastery: Anastasis |
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden;
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
That we may truly see into our hearts
And offer to you all we find there.
Help us truly to believe in your mercy and your power to heal and renew
That we may repent and discover again the power
to perfectly love you,
and worthily proclaim your name,
We ask this through Our Lord Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God, Forever and ever.
Amen.
Matthew 11:28-30 28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
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[1. DESIRE – Epithumia]
WE give thanks to you, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual DESIRE, of a longing within us that impels us out of isolation and into your creation, where we catch glimpses of your beauty in the things you have made. Grant us the gifts of balance and ordering in the expression of our desire.
Forgive us for not treasuring
and using well the gifts of food and drink,
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
We ask your forgiveness for
the times when our response to the beauty of other human beings has led us into
fantasies, words, or deeds that do not find their final meaning in you:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
Forgive us for the time and
energy we have wasted in pursuing money, property, or possessions that do not
serve your purpose:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
Help us to reconsecrate to you our deepest desires, that you may transform our gluttony, our lust, and our avarice into selfless love:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
[2. ZEAL – Thumos]
WE give thanks to you, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual ZEAL, for enthusiasm and dedication in opposing evil and attempting things that are difficult. Show us how to direct our righteous indignation only at the root causes of evil and injustice, never confusing the demonic with human beings for whom you died and who bear your image.
Forgive our inappropriate and
misdirected anger, especially the times we have been cruel or unkind to those
who deserve our gentleness and compassion:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
We ask your forgiveness for
the times we have turned our indignation inward, nursing what seemed to be
injustices and wrongs done to us, imagining that were martyrs:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
Forgive us for preferring
spiritual numbness and anesthesia to active engagement in doing your will. For
the times we have succumbed to torpor and cynicism:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
Teach us to reconsecrate to you our spiritual zeal, that we may rejoice in your calling and in our vocation to be your eager servants:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
[3. VISION – Nous/Theoria]
WE give you thanks, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual VISION and thirst for truth. Grant us the gift of prudence, of knowing how and when to proclaim your Good News in words and images your people can understand. Make us constantly aware of how much we receive from them and from you.
We ask your forgiveness for
the times we have imagined that we are the origin of the good we do. For
refusing to acknowledge that everything we are is a gift we have received from
your people and from you:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
Forgive our superficiality,
our failure to acknowledge and proclaim your presence in the world, and
especially in the people you have created:
We pray to you, Lord,
R /. Lord, hear our prayer.
We ask your forgiveness for
the times we have preferred isolation and separation to community and
engagement, for viewing people and circumstances as means to our ends, rather
than as reflections of your splendor – in short, for preferring hell to heaven:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
LORD, you are the author of our DESIRE, our ZEAL and our capacity for CONTEMPLATION. Renew and restore your gifts within us, and accept the offering we now make to you of all we are. Forgive, heal, and transform us:
We pray to you, Lord,
R/. Lord, hear our prayer.
COLLECT:
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden;
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
That we may truly see into our hearts
And offer to you all we find there.
Help us truly to believe in your mercy and your power to heal and renew
That we may repent and discover again the power
to perfectly love you,
and worthily proclaim your name,
We ask this through Our Lord Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God, Forever and ever.
R/. Amen
Matthew 11:28-30 28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
CHRIST
RESTORES
ALL
THINGS
to UNION
WITH
HIMSELF
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The Garden of Eden, Med. Illum. MS |
This Webpage was created for a workshop held at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, California in 2003