Proposed Stations

I am of the opinion that many of the standard forms for Stations of the Cross are riddled with overstatement of sentimentalism. It is very Italian in style, but it poses a problem for those of us who find that forced sentimentality creates for us a bad taste, imposing feigned emotions. We tend to feel things more deeply when they are not over stated. Therefore, for Lent, I am proposing this version, which is more Biblical and better suited to Anglican piety. I have added appropriate words of Holy Scripture as versicles and responses.

I am asking for feedback. If you find them useful, they are yours. This is modeled after the version attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. 

Preparatory Prayer
Most merciful Lord, * with a contrite heart and penitent spirit * I bow down before Thy divine Majesty. * I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master. * I believe in Thee, * I hope in Thee, * I love Thee above all things. * I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, * my only and supreme God. * I firmly resolve to amend my life; * and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, * yet looking upon Thy holy Cross * I am filled with peace and consolation. * I will, therefore, meditate on Thy sufferings, * and visit the Stations * in company with Thy sorrowful Mother, * to promote Thy honor and to save my soul. * Lord  Jesus, * inflame my cold heart with Thy love, * that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, * and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen. 

1.     Jesus is condemned to death

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
R. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

(Isa. 53:3,4)

V. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
R. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. (Ps. 22:1,2)

O innocent Lord Jesus, * I have sinned and I am guilty of eternal death; * but that I may Live, * Thou dost gladly accept the unjust sentence of death. * For whom then shall I henceforth live * if not for Thee, my Lord? * If I desire to please men, * I cannot be Thy servant. * Let me, therefore, rather displease the whole world * than not please Thee, O Jesus my Lord! 
OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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.

2.     Jesus is given his cross

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

R. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:4-6)

V. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
R. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. (Ps. 22:3,4)

My Lord Jesus, * I cannot be Thy friend and follower * if I refuse to carry my cross. Far be it from me to glory in anything * save in the Cross of my Lord and Redeemer. * By it the world shall be crucified to me, * and I to the world, * that I may be Thine forever. 

Our Father, etc.

Hail Mary, etc.

Glory be. etc.

3.     Jesus falls the first time

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. I am afflicted and ready to die
R. From my youth up. (Ps. 88:15)
Beloved Lord Jesus, * Thou didst carry the burden and the heavy weight of my sins. * Should I then not bear in union with Thee * my light burden of suffering, * and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? * Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden is light. * I willingly accept it. * I will take up my cross and follow Thee. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

4.     Jesus meets His Mother

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
R. (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:34,35)

V. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
R. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. (Ps. 22: 9,10)

O Lord Jesus, * O Mary blessed virgin Mother, * I am the cause of the pains that pierced your hearts. * Would that my heart might experience some of your sufferings. * O Mother, * let me share in thy sufferings and those of thy Son, * that I may obtain the grace of a happy death. 
Lord Jesus, crucified: Have mercy on us.  Is there one who would not weep, Whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ’s dear Mother to behold? 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

5.     Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 
V. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
R. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (Matt. 16:24,25)
Simon of Cyrene was forced to help our exhausted Savior carry His Cross.  How pleased would Jesus have been, had Simon offered his services of his own accord.  However, Simon was not invited by Christ as you are.  He says: "Take up your cross and follow Me." 
O Lord Jesus, * whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, * is not worthy of Thee. * I desire to carry it with all patience until death, * that I may prove worthy of Thee. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

6.     Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,

R. Hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (II Cor. 4:6)

V. He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
R. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isa. 53:2,3)

Dear Lord Jesus, * what return shall I make Thee for all Thy benefits? * Behold, I consecrate myself entirely to Thy service. * My whole heart I give to Thee; * stamp on it Thy holy image, * that I may never forget Thee. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

7.     Jesus falls the second time

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:

R. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth (Isa. 53:7)

V. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
R. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

V. But I am a worm, and no man;

R. A reproach of men, and despised of the people. (Ps. 22:4-6)

Have mercy on me, O Lord Jesus, * and help me never to fall into my former sins. * From this moment I will strive sincerely * never to sin again. * But Thou, O Jesus, strengthen me with Thy grace, * that I may faithfully carry out my resolution. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

8.     Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. Blessed are they that mourn:

R. For they shall be comforted. (Matt. 5:4)

V. Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me,

R. But weep for yourselves, and for your children. (Luke 23:28)

O Lord Jesus, * who shall give my eyes a torrent of tears, * that I may day and night weep over my sins? * I beseech Thee by Thy bitter and bloody tears * to move my heart, * so that tears may flow in abundance from my eyes, * and that I may weep over Thy sufferings * and over my sins until death. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

9.     Jesus falls the third time

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

Most merciful Lord Jesus, * I return Thee thanks * for not permitting me to die in my sins * and fall into the abyss of Hell, * as I have deserved so often. * Enkindle in me a sincere desire to amend my life. * Let me never again fall into sin, * but grant me the grace of final perseverance. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

10. Jesus is stripped of His garments

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

v. But I am a worm, and no man;

R. A reproach of men, and despised of the people.

V. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,
R. He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

V. They part my garments among them,

R. And cast lots upon my vesture. (Ps. 22:6-8, 18)

Help me, O Lord Jesus, to amend my life. * Let it be renewed according to Thy will and desire. * However painful the correction may be to me, * I will not spare myself. * With the assistance of Thy grace, * I will refrain from all sinful pleasure and vain amusement, * that I may die happy and live forever. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
R. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
V. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
R. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
V. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
R. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me:

V. They pierced my hands and my feet.
R. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. (Ps. 22:11-17)

O Lord Jesus, * meek and patient Lamb, * I renounce forever my impatience. * Crucify, O Lord, my flesh, * with its evil desires and vices. * Correct and chasten me in this life, * and spare me in the next. * I resign myself altogether to Thy holy will. * May it be done in all things. Have mercy on us.  Let me share thy pain, Who for all my sins was slain, Who for me in torment died.
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

12. Jesus dies on the cross

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation?

R. For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isa. 53:8)

V. Into thine hand I commit my spirit:

R. Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. (Ps. 31:5)

Behold Jesus crucified!  Behold His wounds received for love of you! Oh what love!  Jesus dies on the Cross, to preserve you from eternal death. 

I will endeavor to die to the world and its vanities * when I behold Thee on the Cross * covered with wounds and crowned with thorns. * Merciful Lord Jesus, * take me into Thy wounded heart, * that I may despise all perishable things, * to live and die for Thee alone. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

13. Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. For my soul is full of troubles:

R. And my life draweth nigh unto the grave. (Ps.88:3)

V. Thou hast brought me

R. Into the dust of death. (Ps. 22:15)

O Lord Jesus crucified! * I most earnestly entreat Thee: * Help me do what is right * and let me not be separated from Thy Cross, * for on it I desire to live and to die. * Create in me, O Lord, a clean heart, * that I may worthily receive Thee in Holy Communion, and that Thou mayest remain in me, * and I in Thee, * for all eternity. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be. 

14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.  
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. 

V. I am counted with them that go down into the pit:

R. I am as a man that hath no strength:
V. Free among the dead,

R. Like the slain that lie in the grave.

V. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit,

R. In darkness, in the deeps. (Ps. 88:4-6)

O Lord Jesus, * Thou hast chosen me out from the world, * what then shall I seek in it? * Thou hast created me for Heaven, * what then shall I desire upon earth? * Depart from me, deceitful world, with thy vanities!  Henceforth I will walk the way of the Cross * traced out for me by my Redeemer, * and journey onward to my heavenly home, * where my rest and my joy shall be forever. 
Our Father,  Hail Mary,  Glory be.

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Virgin Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

Blessed be God in His Church throughout all the world.

 WE beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an Angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Some Hints for Lent

By the Rt. Rev. A.C.A. HallBishop of Vermont (Episcopal Church) in the early 20th century

"WHAT mean ye by this service?" the Jewish child was to ask his parents; it the yearly celebration of the Passover. Many who endeavor to "Keep Lent'' lose much of the profit they should derive from its observance, because they have not clearly before them the object and purpose of the season.

The recurrence (if Lent is a call to renewed spiritual effort. This is the great object of the Lenten Season, that we may ''grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ" (2 S. Peter iii. 18). To this end all its exercises are to be directed. The chief duties of Lent, to be undertaken with this Purpose constantly in mind, are Retirement, Prayer, Fasting, Repentance, and Almsgiving.

I. Lent is a time for Retirement. We are bidden at this season to follow our Lord, in some measure, into the wilderness, and give a few weeks to a closer inquiry into the state of our souls, and a nearer approach to God.

We cannot, nor ought we to, withdraw from the duties of our state of life, whether in the family or in business. The retirement to which we are called is from the unrestrained social intercourse and from the amusements which at other times may be perfectly innocent, and even beneficial, but which we now put aside for a time, in order to give ourselves the better to higher and more important interests.

It would be well to make a rule not to go during Lent to any place of public amusement, and, as far as possible, to keep from social entertainments. Try to be sometimes alone. "Commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still:" this is one great rule for Lent. Secure time, and freedom of mind, for prayer, for the study of God's Word, for self-examination, and the works of repentance, and for gaining instruction in religious matters.

Many persons remain in ignorance of much that they ought to know concerning Christian faith and practice, because they do not take pains to gain instruction. Persons often in these days are bewildered by some infidel objection or argument which is brought before them, and which, even if they cannot directly answer, they should, by their assurance of the positive truth of their religion, be able to withstand. For our own sake, for the sake of others whom we may help, and for the honor of our Lord, we ought to be ready with meekness and reverence, as St. Peter bids us, to give to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us (i S. Peter ii. 15). While carefully avoiding a controversial spirit it would be well in Lent to take in hand some instructive religious reading (e. g. of Church History), as well as that which is more distinctly devotional. Some time might be saved from newspapers and other light reading for this purpose.

II. Lent is a time for more frequent Prayer, both Public and Private.

A. Public Prayer.--Make a conscientious use of the opportunities provided for you in your own Parish. Very likely you cannot attend all the services. It may not be desirable that you should do so. Services of different characters and at different times are intended to meet the needs of various classes of persons. You will probably find it best to choose some one or more courses of services (as the daily prayers, or weekly service and instruction), and make a rule of regular attendance at these. If you are in a large city, where there are several churches, be on your guard against the danger of religious dissipation, going about with itching ears to hear different preachers, or to take part in different services, moved rather by curiosity than by devotion or a desire for edification.

If a Communicant, you may well desire to receive the Sacrament more frequently during this season. Abstaining from earthly food, and from social pleasures, you may approach more often the Holy Table to feed upon the Bread of Life, and hold communion with your Lord. No general rule can of course be given about the frequency of Communion. Each person must decide the question (with the help of such advice as he can get), according to his own needs and opportunities.

If not yet admitted to Holy Communion, or if you should have ceased to be a Communicant, remember that one special purpose of your Lent should be by a true repentance (concerning which some hints will be given presently) to be prepared worthily to receive the Holy Sacrament at Easter. If we are rightly to commemorate our Lord's Passion, the atoning death of the spotless Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world, we must "shew forth His Death" according to His commandment, pleading in His own appointed way His Sacrifice as the ground of our hopes, and seeking to have its merits applied individually to ourselves. In the typical Sacrifice of the Passover, the lamb was not only to be slain, but for any to share in the benefits of the sacrifice the blood of the victim must be sprinkled upon their house, and they must feed upon its flesh (Ex. .ii.). "Christ our Paschal Lamb is sacrificed for us, therefore let us keep the feast'' (i Cor. v. 7, 8).

If you have not been confirmed, you should in Lent set yourself distinctly to prepare, both intellectually and morally, for that holy rite, that by the Seven-fold Gift of the Holy Spirit you may be strengthened for your Christian life, and be ready to receive the spiritual food of the Body and Blood of Christ.

B. Private Prayer,--Do not let anything hinder from (nothing can take the place of) private personal communion with God. It would be very helpful to make a rule to pray over, for a few minutes, quietly in your room, and on your knees, each sermon and instruction that you hear. How many good impressions fade away and are lost for want of subsequent and prayful recollection, by which they should have developed into deliberate resolves, and so have been found fruitful in our lives The fowls of the air are too often allowed to snatch away (even at the Church porch) the good seed which has been sown.

Be careful to say your regular prayers with earnestness and devotion, adding, perhaps, morning or night, one or other of the Seven Penitential Psalms (vi, xxxii. xxxviii, li, cii. cxxx, cxliii), and one or more of the Ash-Wednesday collects from the Prayer Book. In the use of such prayers you will unite your private devotions with the penitential prayers and exercises of the Holy Church throughout the world at this common fast of Christendom.

Lent is a good time to begin or take up a fresh practice of meditation or the devotional use of Holy Scripture, reading and praying over a few verses, as one miracle or parable of our Lord, or one mystery in His Passion, and begging God to apply its lessons to yourself. Most persons could give a few minutes each day during Lent to this practice, and by its means would certainly be enabled to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In making any rule for this practice, it is better to devote a certain time (say five, ten, or thirty minutes, as you may be able), rather than to resolve to read a certain quantity.

III. Fasting.--All the forty days of Lent, the Prayer Book tells us, are to be observed with "such a measure of abstinence as is more especially suited to extraordinary acts and exercises of devotion." Fasting is intended

1) To subdue the flesh to the spirit;

2) To express sorrow and humiliation, acknowledging ourselves undeserving freely to partake of God's good gifts, and avenging past wrongful indulgence;

3) To quicken the soul for prayer.

For all these purposes God's servants under both the Old and the New Dispensation have practised bodily mortification; nor can we without grievous fault and loss disregard a practice enjoined by our Lord's own example and constant teaching. All should form some rule for bodily discipline. Such a rule must vary with different persons, occupations, temperament and strength. It must not interfere with health, but should be such as to be really felt. All but very few could resolve to eat more sparingly and of a plainer diet, and to abstain during Lent from luxuries. Many perhaps by making a rule to rise somewhat earlier than usual would at once combat sloth and gain undisturbed time for devotion.

Amidst the enervating luxuries of our modern civilisation it is especially incumbent on Christian people to learn to endure hardness.

"What a shame," exclaimed a holy man of old, "to be the soft and luxurious member of a Head that was crowned with thorns!"

In Lent especially, when we commemorate first the Fast and then the Passion of our Lord, the Church, His mystical Body would have her members in sympathy with the suffering experiences of His natural Body, now much of the excess, intemperance and sensuality that among all classes bring disgrace on a so-called Christian land may be traced to the softness and absence of discipline of which perhaps we have boasted as the sign of Christian liberty, though in direct violation of the example and precept of Christ!

If the Word of God, the example of our Lord, the practice of His Church, the experience of His saints, and our own so far as we have followed in their steps, are to be of any weight, we must, if we would grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God, set ourselves to mortify the flesh with its affections and lusts. It is by the practice of self-denial with regard to things that may be innocent that we gain the power of self-control, and are enabled at once to say No when tempted to some unlawful action.

It is not of course the body only that needs control, though that in the disordered condition of our fallen nature is the cause of many sins. There must be a universal self-denial, including the discipline of our words, our tempers, our thoughts, our will. We must seek by degrees to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

IV. Repentance.--This is the great work of Lent.

"Turn ye even to Me," saith the Lord, "with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." (Joel ii. 12).

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him: and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isa. liv. 6, 7).

The work of Repentance in its several parts of self-examination, sorrow for sin, confession of sin, amendment and satisfaction, cannot be better summed up than in the weighty words of the exhortation in preparation for Holy Communion in the Prayer-Book. Those who would find acceptance with God are therein bidden:--"First, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments: and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sin-fulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God? with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbors; then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others who have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand."

With regard to Self-Examination, consider not only your past life, but also your present state before God, the real condition of your soul in His sight: consider the graces and virtues that should adorn it, as well as the vices that actually disfigure it. Be definite in your examination and in all your repentance.

"I so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air," said the Apostle, (i Cor. ix. 26). Many of those who are really trying to serve God would have to say of themselves if they truly described their manner of struggle, "I run indeed but very uncertainly"--not keeping in view the goal to be reached, and stretching continually toward it, with no particular virtue that I am striving for, no definite standard before me; '' so fight I just like one that beateth the air," spending my strength in vain because I do not clearly see the enemy with whom I have to contend, and against whom I ought to direct my blows. Find out your besetting sin or sins, the faults into which you most commonly fall, that are at the root of most evil in your life, the habits that more particularly hinder and mar your Christian life. Set yourself during Lent in good earnest to combat these. Concentrate the force of your prayers, your self-denials, your sacraments upon these strongholds of the enemy within you.

"What evil habit," ask yourself, "am I specially to grapple with this Lent? What virtue in particular am I to cultivate?"

The Seven Capital Sins (so called because under one or other of these heads of evil all possible sins whether of thought, word, or deed, can be classified) are sometimes more helpful than the Ten Commandments as an outline for self-examination, because we are thus enabled to trace the symptoms of evil (condemned by God's commands) to the roots of evil horn which they spring. Pride, Envy, Anger are more especially the works of the devil; Covetousness, the worldly sin; and Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, the sins of the flesh. The capital sins are the development of the three-fold root of evil, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which draw away from the love of God (i St. John ii. 16).

The knowledge of our sins must be followed by a humble Confession of them before Almighty God, with a true sorrow for the offence we have thereby committed against Him, and a sincere purpose of amendment. There can hardly be a better form of confession, if one be needed, than the General Confession in the Service for Holy Communion, if we say it in the singular number, slowly, and pausing at the end of each clause, to recall our own special transgressions, and to let the words we repeat find a real echo in our hearts.

Concerning the special further confession of our sins to God in the presence of His Priest, the exhortation which has been already quoted thus concludes; "Because it is requisite that no man should come to the Holy Communion, but with a full trust in God's mercy, and with a quiet conscience, therefore, if there be any of you, who by this means [of private personal repentance] cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me [the Parish Priest], or to some other minister of God's Word, and open his grief; that he may receive such godly counsel and advice as may tend to the quieting of his conscience, and the removing of all scruple and doubtfulness."

Let none whose consciences are troubled, either with the burden of past sin or with evil habits from which they find themselves unable to break free, shrink from seeking the help and assistance of those whom (as Richard Hooker puts it) "our Lord Jesus Christ hath left in His Church to be spiritual and ghostly physicians, the guides and pastors of redeemed souls, whose office doth not only consist in general persuasions unto amendment of life, but also in the private, particular cure of diseased minds."

The bringing home to the individual soul of God's pardoning word may be of unspeakable comfort to the penitent, while the personal guidance of one accustomed to deal with spiritual things may be of great value to a soul in struggling against temptations.

Among "works of repentance" by no means forget the necessity of reparation for wrong done and of the forgiveness of injuries suffered, if we are to be ourselves at peace with God. Take care that you incur not the rebuke of the prophet, "Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness" (Isa. lviii. 4). Put away in Lent the leaven of malice and wickedness that you may celebrate the Paschal feast with "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (i Cor. v. 8).

V. Almsgiving is another special duty of Lent. Some of the money which is saved from luxuries, from amusements, and from dress, should be devoted to pious and charitable purposes. Some of the time which is rescued from society may be well employed in works of mercy and kindly offices to those in spiritual and temporal need. "Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor" (Dan. v. 27).

"Is not this the fast that I have chosen, saith the Lord, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" (Isa. lviii. 6, 7).

We may think of Lent as being spent under the teaching of St. John the Baptist. First he preaches Repentance, drawing the people after him into the wilderness, bringing home the conviction of sin, leading to confession, and enjoining works meet for repentance. Then to those thus prepared the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world (St. Matt, iii., St. Luke iii., St. John i. 29). Having in the earlier weeks of Lent endeavored to deepen our repentance we too in Passion-tide are pointed to the Saviour and His Cross, that we may behold at once sin's work and its remedy. It is at the foot of the Cross that the great lessons of the Christian life are to be learned. Remember that the Son of God was given to be both a sacrifice for sin and also an ensample of godly life. Seek more truly to die with Him to sin that with and in Him you may rise to newness of life.

Three dangers we ought specially to guard against, lest we lose the benefit of Lenten observance.

Avoid formality; whatever measure of strictness you may be able to adopt, be real.

Avoid aimlessness; be definite in your purpose and endeavors.

Avoid gloominess; there should be a true joy even in penitence, since in penitence we are returning to Him Whose love has borne with us and recalls us to Himself.

The end of this, as of every, commandment is charity, the love of God above all on account of His own intrinsic worth, and of our brethren for His sake, out of a pure heart, cleansed by grace, and a good conscience, set at peace by true repentance, and of faith unfeigned, and strengthened by spiritual exercises, (i Tim. i. 5).

Fr. Wells bulletin inserts

ASH WEDNESDAY

On Easter morning we will sing St Paul's words, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Today we begin with the first part of that antithesis, with words which echo Genesis 3, "Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." It is too bad that the advocates of politically correct language have dropped the key word of that solemn formula, "O man." As each man woman and child is marked with ashes, we are reminded of a jarring fact. Each of us is a member of the human race and is therefore "in Adam." The address "O man" is directed simultaneously to the individual and to the entire human family. To delete it obscures that truth.

The formula is adapted from even more solemn words in Genesis 3, from that painful conversation which God held in turn with the serpent, with Eve, and with Adam just before they were banished from the garden. After He had dealt with the Serpent and with Eve, God said to Adam:

Cursed is the ground because of you,

In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken.

for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

However you choose to read the mournful tale of Genesis 3 (as myth, or as poetry, or as a parable which echoes a terrible moment in clock-time history), we have in those words a powerful description of the human condition. Doomed to death after a lifetime of drudgery in a world where the very ground itself is cursed. This terrible predicament did not just happen at the caprice of a cruel god. No, this is the result of Adam's sin.

On Ash Wednesday we make not one but two trips to the Altar rail. The first trip reminds us again of what St Paul wrote, "For as in Adam all die." We are all, by virtue of our humanity, under that curse which sent our first parents out of the garden into a world of thorns and thistles. But the second journey to the Altar rail, when we receive the Body and Blood of our Saviour, reminds us that "even so in Christ shall all be made alive." The first trip recalls the terrible moment when, in Milton's words at the end of Paradise Lost, "They, hand in hand, with wand'ring steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way." But in the second journey, we are permitted to run breathlessly like the disciples to the empty tomb of Jesus of that first Easter morning.

The ashes on for foreheads remind us that we are truly "in Adam." The Body and Blood which we will receive remind us that we are "in Christ."

Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12-17

Matt. 6:16-21

We should be uncomfortable if we hear, in connection with Lent, only concerns about the many things from which we abstain. Yes, we intend to fast and we intend to abstain, and in our outward acts we ought also to place special emphasis on works of mercy. But, these are to aid us in redirecting our hearts to God. The main issue is not simply the rules of Lent, but the purpose those rules are meant to serve. The Gospel reading for this day speaks of that above all else- where the heart is. What we fuss over and care most about is our treasure, that is to say, whatwe treasure. If, as our Lord tells us to do, we pray, fast and give alms in secret, caring only that the Lord sees, then it is all for the right reason, the reason of a heart of gratitude to God for His mercy. The severe disciplines of Lent are in substance a penance, that is, an opportunity to redirect our focus on God. It is this same chapter of Matthew in which the Lord Jesus goes on to say, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (v.33)

So, in all your Lenten disciplines, pray that the Holy Spirit will so work in you that your heart is turned to God.

The ashes you wear on your foreheads are not in accord with all that is trendy and stylish in religion; for they are not about healing, prosperity and self-improvement. They are about the one thing in life that you cannot avoid, that one thing that ruins all your hopes and dreams, the one thing that brings the rich man down to the level of the most poor, and that reduces man to the level even of the beasts, until God saves us in our helpless and hopeless weakness from the fate of all flesh. "Remember O Man that thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou return."

Perhaps the women wonder why we say the same words to each person. No, I have not mistaken you for men. But, we are all of the race named Adam, we all belong to the species named Man after its first father whose Fall into sin has unleashed death upon everyone. It is in your first father Adam, the head of Fallen humanity, that you inherited mortality. The words were spoken to Adam in the third chapter of Genesis, where we see clearly to whom God spoke them: "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Gen. 3:17-19)

I thought our religion blamed Eve, for isn't that what all the revisionists are telling us? It seems they are wrong. The Bible lays the responsibility on Adam, which means "Man." This, Adam, is the name God gave to the human race before the Fall, in the day He made them and blessed them. (Gen. 5:2) This has great meaning, as we shall see.

A movie made in 1951, starring Kirk Douglas, namedDetective Story, takes place in a major American city. It is about police and criminals on the surface, but seems to be about sin and redemption under the surface. The detective played by Kirk Douglas hates criminals, and feels very righteous. But, his father was a criminal. As the story unfolds, the detective, Jim McLeod, becomes increasingly aware that, even though he is no criminal, he is not the good and righteous man of his own delusions and self-deception. He learns, quite painfully, that he is sinful and capable of hurting the one person he loves most, his wife. In one scene, he tells how he always wanted to be different from his father, but now discovers that his father, the worst part of what his father was, lives inside him. This movie was made long ago, before the current unhealthy trend in Hollywood always to paint everyone's father as a bad guy, and all father-son relationships as full of strife. But, in 1951 the lines Kirk Douglas spoke were probably shocking. The father that lived inside him seems to have been written with a symbolic and theological meaning. The father, whose evil the hitherto self-righteous detective could not escape, spoke really of Adam. That is, he was a fallen child of a sinful race called Man.

You were born subject to death because you were conceived in iniquity (as Psalm 51 says). The revisionists are quite wrong in thinking our Bible lays the blame on Eve, for St. Paul takes it up in these words when writing to the Church in Rome:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." (see Rom. 5:12-21)

And writing to the Church in Corinth he said,

"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I Cor. 15:21,22)

Someone may think I am getting ahead of the season by mentioning our hope and our salvation in Jesus Christ. Not so, for, in fact, that is the message; in fact it is always the message. In Easter, yes, then we shall concentrate on our other father, our everlasting father (Isaiah 9:6,7) by whose obedience we can, indeed, have treasure in heaven, and therefore a good and sound heart. In that season we will dwell on the Second Man, the Last Adam (I Cor. 15: 45-47).

But, in Lent we concentrate on penance. That is, seeing our hopelessness, we treat our bodies with severity of disciplines in order to focus our attention on that heaven where we ought to have our treasure. In the Law of Moses, when a man died his brother would raise up a child to be named as the son of his dead brother. Such a man had two fathers, one natural and one legal. We have two fathers. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." In Adam we die; in Adam we are hopeless; in Adam we are helpless; In Adam we are sinners. But, when we were baptized our life began again, and if we have a lively faith, then we know our other father. That other father, the Father of the new humanity, died to make us, by adoption, children of His Father. In Christ the Everlasting Father of the new and redeemed human race, God saves us from sin and death; for that we could not do ourselves.

For now, like Det. Jim McLeod in Detective Story, we must face with honesty the simple truth that we cannot keep ourselves alive. The evil we might think we hate, especially when it takes forms we are able to despise as beneath us, is really in us. Our Fallen father Adam is in us with all his sinfulness, and we are not free. We shall all return to the dust; No truer words have been spoken than these: "thou shalt surely die." Just as we must pass through this time of mortality and weakness, while living with the sorrowful reality of death, we do so with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection on the Last Day. So, we pass through this penitential season of Lent aware that Easter lies ahead. We do have faith in the coming resurrection; and so, at this time, having our treasure in heaven rather than in the things of this world that passes away, we follow Christ to his cross. This is the season that teaches us to face our helpless and sinful condition, and to make war upon it, so that we may truly become ever more thankful for His salvation.