Celebrating Ash Wednesday with Deacon Dulas, Part III

Here is part 3 of a series on Ash Wednesday by Deacon Jerry Dulas. Thanks, Deacon!

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The Rite of Imposition of Ashes

In place of the Confiteor, the ashes obtained by burning the palm branches used the preceding Palm Sunday, and mixed with anointing oil, are now set apart for use in the Imposition of Ashes.
While the Ministers enter, the Choir chants the following Introit:

Antiphon (pointed for Gregorian psalm tones):
HEAR ME, || O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is | good; | - *
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your ten- | der | mer- | cies.

Introit (pointed for Gregorian psalm tones):
|| Save me, O | God! | - *
For the waters have come up | to | my | neck.
|| I sink in deep mire, where there is no | stand- | ing; *
I have come into deep waters, where the floods ov- | er- | flow | me.
|| I am weary with my cry -ing; (+) My throat is | dry; | - *
My eyes fail while I wait | for | my | God.
|| Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my | head; | - *
They are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must | re- | store | it.
|| O God, You know my | fool-ish ∙ | ness; *
And my sins are not hid- | den | from | You.
|| Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be asham-ed because of | me; | - *
Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of | Is- | ra- | el.
|| Because for Your sake I have borne re- | proach; | - *
Shame has cover- | ed | my | face.
|| I have become a stranger to my | bro- | thers, *
And an alien to my moth- | er’s | child- | ren;
|| Because zeal for Your house has eaten me | up, | - *
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fall- | en | on | me.
|| When I wept and chasten-ed my soul with | fast- | ing, *
That became | my | re- | proach.
|| I also made sackcloth my | gar- | ment; *
I became a by- | word | to | them.
|| Those who sit in the gate speak a- | gainst | me, *
And I am the song of | the | drunk- | ards.
|| But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable | time; | - *
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your | sal- | va- | tion.
|| Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not | sink; | - *
Let me be deliver-ed from those who hate me, and out of the | deep | wa- | ters.
|| Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me | up; | - *
And let not the pit shut its | mouth | on | me.
|| Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is | good; | - *
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your ten- | der | mer- | cies.
|| And do not hide Your face from Your ser -vant, (+) for I am in | trou- | ble; *
Hear me | speed- | i- | ly.
|| Draw near to my soul, and re- | deem | it; *
Deliver me because of my | en- | e- | mies.
|| You know my reproach, my shame, and my dis- | hon- | or; *
My adversaries are all | be- | fore | You.
|| Reproach has broken my | heart, | - *
And I am full of | heav- | i- | ness;
|| I looked for someone to take pity, but there was | none; | - *
And for comforters, but | I | found | none.
|| They also gave me gall for my | food, | - *
And for my thirst they gave me vine- | gar | to | drink.
|| Let their table become a snare before | them, | - *
And their well-be- | ing | a | trap.
|| Let their eyes be darken-ed, so that they do | not | see; *
And make their loins shake con- | tin- | u-al ∙ | ly.
|| Pour out Your indignation u-| pon | them, *
And let Your wrathful anger take | hold | of | them.
|| Let their dwelling place be | de-so- ∙ | late; *
Let no one live | in | their | tents.
|| For they persecute the ones You have | struck, | - *
And talk of the grief of those You | have | wound- | ed.
|| Add iniquity to their in- | i-qui- ∙ | ty, *
And let them not come into Your | right-| eous- | ness.
|| Let them be blotted out of the book of the | liv- | ing, *
And not be written with | the | right- | eous.
|| But I am poor and | sor-row- ∙ | ful; *
Let Your salvation, O God, set me | up | on | high.
|| I will praise the name of God with a | song, | - *
And will magnify Him with | thanks- | giv- | ing.
|| This also shall please the | Lord | - *
better than an ox or bull, which has | horns | and | hooves.
|| The humble shall see this and be | glad; | - *
And you who seek God, your | hearts | shall | live.
|| For the Lord hears the | poor, | - *
And does not despise His | pri- | son- | ers.
|| Let heaven and earth | praise | Him, *
The seas and everything that | moves | in | them.
|| For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, *
That they may dwell there and possess it.
|| Also, the descendants of His servants shall in- | her-it ∙ | it, *
And those who love His Name shall | dwell | in | it.

The Congregation joins in on the Gloria Patri:
GLORIA PATRI (From The Lutheran Hymnal)

The Choir continues with the Antiphon, chanting:
|| Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is | good; | - *
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your ten- | der | mer- | cies.

The Celebrant, vested in Alb, Stole, and Cope, approaches the Altar, flanked by the Deacon and Subdeacon. The Celebrant, moves to the Epistle horn, on which has been placed a vessel containing the ashes. The Deacon and Subdeacon stand behind him in line.

When the Introit is finished, the Celebrant, facing the Altar, hands joined together, chants:
V: The Lord be with you.

The Congregation responds chanting:
R: And with thy spirit.

The Deacon chants:
Let us pray.

The Celebrant then prays the following Collect, chanting:
V: O Almighty and Everlasting God, spare those who are penitent, be merciful to those who implore Thee; and vouchsafe to send Thy holy Angel from heaven, to set apart + and sanctify + these ashes, that they may be a wholesome remedy to all who humbly implore Thy holy Name, and who accuse themselves, conscious of their sins, deploring their crimes before Thy divine mercy, and who humbly and earnestly beseech Thy sovereign goodness: and grant through the Invocation of Thy most holy Name that whosoever shall be sprinkled with them for the remission of their sins may receive the safe-keeping of their soul; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The Congregation responds, chanting:
Amen.

The Deacon then chants:
Let us pray.

The Celebrant then prays the following Collect, chanting:
V: O God, Who desirest not the death, but the repentance of sinners, look down most graciously upon the frailty of human nature; and in Thy goodness vouchsafe to set apart + these ashes which we purpose to put upon our heads in token of our lowliness and to obtain forgiveness; so that we who know that we are but ashes, and on account of our wickedness deserve to return to dust, may deserve to obtain of Thy mercy, the pardon of all our sins, and the rewards promised to the penitent; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The Congregation responds, chanting:
Amen.

The Deacon then chants:
Let us pray.

The Celebrant then prays the following Collect, chanting:
O God, Who art moved by a broken heart, and appeased by contrition, incline the ear of Thy goodness to our prayers and mercifully pour forth upon the heads of Thy servants sprinkled with these ashes the grace of Thy blessing, that Thou mayest both fill them with the spirit of remorse, and effectually grant what they have justly prayed for, and ordain that what Thou hast granted may be permanently established and remain unchanged; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The Congregation responds, chanting:
Amen.

The Deacon then chants:
Let us pray.

The Celebrant then prays the following Collect, chanting:
O Almighty and Everlasting God, Who didst vouchsafe Thy healing pardon to the Ninevites, who repented in sackcloth and ashes, mercifully grant that we may so imitate them in our outward attitude as to follow them in obtaining forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The Congregation responds, chanting:
Amen.

The Celebrant then receives the thurible, and censes the ashes with three double swings; To the center, the left, and the right.

Then, after placing the ashes upon his own head, he proceeds to place them on the foreheads of the Deacon and Subdeacon, and any Servers, while they genuflect. Then the Choir, and afterward the Congregation, come forward to the entrance of the Chancel in single file, genuflect, and receive the ashes.

He places ashes on their foreheads in a form of a cross, saying to each:
V: Remember, O man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.

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Deacon Dulas is ordained into the pastorate and member of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (eldona.org).  In his own words, "My call is to serve as deacon and missionary-at-large to MN and WI at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tony, WI.  We are starting a mission here in Mayer, MN, and the surrounding area called St. Matthew Ev. Luth. Mission."

Like what you are reading? Check out Deacon Dulas' blog at The Deacon's Didache.