Today is Ash Wednesday: The First Day of Lent

Services & Events Scheduled at Good Shepherd Today
Said Eucharist with Ashes at 8AM, 12PM, 6PM
Morning Prayer at 8:30AM
AA Groups 6:45PM

Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Year 1 Office Readings (RSV)
A Reading from the Book of Jonah (JONAH 3:1-4:11)
The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nin’eveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nin’eveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nin’eveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he cried, “Yet forty days, and Nin’eveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nin’eveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. Then tidings reached the king of Nin’eveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he made proclamation and published through Nin’eveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry mightily to God; yea, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “I pray thee, LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil. Therefore now, O LORD, take my life from me, I beseech thee, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?” Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. And the LORD God appointed a plant, and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah so that he was faint; and he asked that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night, and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nin’eveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (HEBREWS 12:1-14)
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? –“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke (LUKE 18:9-14)
Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Lent, Holy Week & Easter Service Schedule at Good Shepherd

Sundays in Lent
5:00 PM Stations of the Cross (5PM Saturday)
7:40 AM Morning Prayer
8:00 AM Said Holy Eucharist
10:00 AM Sung Holy Eucharist

Tuesdays through Fridays in Lent
8:30 AM Morning Prayer (unless otherwise announced)

February 24, Tuesday, St. Mathias’ Day
6:00 PM Said Holy Eucharist

March 19, Tuesday, St. Joseph’s Day
6:00 PM Said Holy Eucharist

March 24, Tuesday, Eve of the Annunciation
6:00 PM Sung Holy Eucharist
7:00 PM BREAK THE FAST with Stews & Chowders

March 29, Palm/Passion Sunday
5:00 PM Stations of the Cross (Saturday, March 28)
7:40 AM Morning Prayer
8:00 AM Palms & Said Holy Eucharist
10:00 AM Palms, Procession & Sung Holy Eucharist

April 2, Maundy Thursday
6:00 PM Agape Dinner: Mediterranean Potluck
7:30 PM Celebration of the Lord’s Supper

April 3, Good Friday
12:00 PM Said Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
6:00 PM Soup & Bread Potluck Dinner
7:30 PM Sung Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

April 4, Saturday, Easter Eve
6:00 PM Pizzafest
7:30 PM The Great Vigil of Easter

April 5, Easter Sunday
7:40 AM Morning Prayer
8:00 AM Said Holy Eucharist
10:00 AM Sung Holy Eucharist
11:00 AM Easter Egg Hunt & Festive Coffee Hour

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