| 2 Wednesday | |
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| violet | Ash Wednesday | |
| | Mass of Ash Wednesday; after the sign of the cross and greeting, the penitential act is omitted.
Preface of Lent III or IV. |
| | [219] Joel 2: 12-18; Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14+17; 2 Cor 5:20-6:2; Matt 6:1-6, 16-18 |
| | (Switch to Vol. II of the Lit. of the Hours.)
Hours of Ash Wednesday; Psalter Week 4 today and until Saturday.
Today at Morning Prayer, the psalms of Friday, Week 3 may be used. |
| | The celebrant blesses and distributes ashes after the homily.
Other persons may be associated with the bishop or priest in the imposition of ashes, e.g., deacons, special ministers of communion and other lay persons, when there is true pastoral need. |
| Special ministers of communion and deacons may bring blessed ashes to the sick and those confined to their homes. If a minister is not available, a member of the family or another person may bring the blessed ashes to a shut-in, using one of the formulas in the Roman Missal to impose ashes. |
| For pastoral reasons the blessing and distribution of ashes may take place outside Mass. In this case, the entire liturgy of the word should be celebrated: entrance song, opening prayer, readings and chants, homily, blessing and distribution of ashes, and general intercessions. See the Book of Blessings, nos. 1656ff. |
| Anniversary: | 71st anniversary of the death of F. João Martins do RosáRio (78) d. 1951 at Baía, Brazil.  |
On this day in our Jesuit history...
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| 1589 | At Rome, the death of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III, great benefactor of the Society and founder/builder of the Gesu. |
| 1591 | At Vilnius died Fr. Anthony Arias, a learned Spanish theologian, remarkable for his fervor and great delicacy of conscience. |
| 1606 | Brother Nicholas Owen, S.J. "Little John" is martyred in the Tower of London. For 26 years, he constructed hiding places for priests. "Perhaps no single person contributed more to the preservation of the Catholic religion in England during the Penal Times than Nicholas Owen". (Butler, Lives of the Saints). |
| 1928 | A Letter of Cardinal Billot in Etudes clarifies why he resigned from the cardinalate, and repeats his profession of obedience to the Holy See. |
| 1991 | John L. McKenzie dies age 80. Scripture scholar, pacifist, Two-Edged Sword, Dictionary of the Bible. He was a former Jesuit. |
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