the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit amen the grace of our lord jesus christ and the love of god and the communion of the holy spirit be with you all and with your spirit let us pray a lord that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of christian service so that as we take up battle against spiritual evils we may be armed with weapons of self restraint  reading from the book of the prophet joel even now says the lord returned to me with your whole heart with fasting and weeping and morning rend your heart's not your garments and return to the lord your god for gracious and merciful as he slow to anger rich in kindness and relenting in punishment perhaps you will again relent and leave behind him a blessing offerings and light patients for the lord your god blow the trumpet in xi'an proclaim a fast call an assembly gather the people notify the congregation assemble the elders gather the children and the infants at the breasts let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride or chamber between the porch and the altar let the priests the ministers of the lord weep and say sparrow lord your people and make not your heritage or reproach with the nations ruling over them why should they say among the peoples where is their god then the lord was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people the word of the lord thanks  be merciful oh lord for we have sinned the merciful little board for we have sinned have mercy on me oh god in your goodness in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense thoroughly wash me from my guilt and  lord for we have sinned a clean heart create for me oh god and the steadfast spirit renew within me cast me not out from your presence and your holy spirit take not from me be merciful lord  a reading from the second letter of st paul to the corinthians brothers and sisters we are ambassadors for christ as if god were appealing through us we implore you on behalf of christ be reconciled to god for our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin so that we might become the righteousness of god in him working together then we appeal to you not to receive the grace of god in vain for he says in an acceptable time i heard you and on the day of salvation i helped you behold now is a very acceptable time behold now is the day of salvation the word of the lord g lord be with you and with your spirit a reading from the holy gospel according to matthew glory to you lord jesus said to his disciples take care not to perform right to speeds in order that people may see them otherwise you will have no recompense from your heavenly father when you give alms do not blow a trumpet before you as a hypocrites do in the synagogue and in the streets to win the praise of others amen i say to you they have received their reward but when you give alms do not let your left hand know what your right is doing so that your alms giving may be secret and your father whose search season secret will repay you when you pray do not be like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that others may see them amen i say to you they have received their reward but when you pray go to your inner room close the door and pray to your father in secret and your father who sees and secret will repay you when you fast do not look gloomy like the hypocrites they neglect their parents so that day may appear to others to be fasting amen i say to you they have received their reward and when you fast anoint your head and wash your face so that you may not appear to be fasting except to your father who is hidden and your father who sees what is hidden will repay you the gospel lord jesus christ you know today's gospel is one of my very favorite ones the beautiful and powerful image of not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing and the right hand is taking care of the needs of the is talking about not letting the left know what the right is doing because the right is doing exactly what it should be doing in taking care of the people in the last part of it about when you fast don't let people know that it's one of the best things about lent if we take it seriously we don't have to tell anybody what we're doing everybody will say to us all what do you do what are you giving up for lent to what are you doing it's up to anybody to say well you know what i'm keeping that to myself is somebody on the radio today and he was catholic and the others who were not were asking him the exact questions the kind of viewer did and said well he was basically keeping it  ashes we will walk through new york fifth avenue madison avenue or the streets and will see hundreds and hundreds of people with the ashes on their on their brow or in their forehead the ashes are not for other people to see it's for us the ashes are to remind us as we put them on our forehead that we are taking lent seriously that whatever we decide to do whatever it might be whatever connection that we have with god to make to use these forty days as special days of healing ourselves of whatever temptations and weaknesses that we have asking for god's grace to god's power in our lives we were going to take it seriously that's what the ashes signifies doesn't it shouldn't be a badge of honor or look at me i have my ashes that means i'm a catholic  i'm a christian i'm somebody who is takes religion seriously although that is true but the ashes are for me for me to say to myself i have this on my face which is a very uncommon thing to do and how often do we if any of us walked around we had a smudge on our face or people would say oh look you have something on your face you've got to clean it off and we would so the ashes today the cross that we will wear is there to say to us listen take lens seriously make sure you use the time for your own spiritual health and spiritual good that's what they mean what it means the name of the on the sides will have all of the ashes to be distributed to my deacon will help me with the book is humbly ask god our father that he be pleased to bless with the abundance of his grace these ashes which we will put on our heads in pen over god who are moved by acts of humility and respond with forgiveness to works of penance then your merciful ear to our prayers and in your kindness pour out the grace of your blessing on your serv become worthy to celebrate develop the passion of your son who lives and reigns for ever and ever amen the lord be with you in with your spirit lift up your hearts lift them up to the lord let us give thanks to the lord our god it is right in jest it is truly right in just a duty in our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks lord holy father almighty and eternal god but through bodily fasting you restrain our time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his passion he took bread and giving thanks procuring gave it to his disciples saying take his soul that he when eat of it for this is my body which will be given up for you eternal covenant which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins do this in memory of me that partaking of the body and blood of christ we may be gathered into one by the holy spirit remember aboard your church spread throughout the world and bring her to the fullness of charity together with francis her pope and timothy  him in his resurrection remember also our brothers and sisters of fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and all the web died in your mercy welcomed them into the light of your face have is yours for ever and ever graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all the stress as we await the blessing told the coming of our savior jesus christ graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will to live and reign for ever and ever amen the peace of the board be with you always and with your spirit of soccer to each other with your spirit almighty god bless you father and son in the holy spirit amen our mass is ended go in peace thanks be to god have a wonderful event it's a great opportunity for all of in singing again we keep the solemn fast number four twenty six in the green himno member four to six