| 21 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: | 74th anniversary of the death of F. Vincent McArdle (79) d. 2006 at Manchester, England.  |
| Anniversary: | 69th anniversary of the death of P. Gerry Lorriman (96) d. 2011 at Cape Town, RSA. |
| Anniversary: | 68th anniversary of the death of P. Richard Cremins (89) d. 2012 at Dublin, Ireland. |
| Anniversary: | 63rd anniversary of the death of F. Peter Doyle (HIB) (84) d. 2017 at Dublin, Ireland. |
On this day in our Jesuit history...
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| 1595 | At Tyburn, the martyrdom of Robert Southwell after he had suffered brutal tortures in Topcliffe's house and in prison. He embraced the gaoler who brought him word that he was to be executed. As he breathed his last, Lord Mountjoy, who presided over the execution, exclaimed: "May my soul be one day with that of this man." |
| 1608 | The GC 6 was convened. The sixty-four members of the Congregation conï¬rmed Aquaviva’s leadership and their conï¬dence in him. |
| 1616 | At Seville died Father Alphonsus Rodriguez, full of days and merits, for he had reached the 90th year of his age and the 70th in the Society. He had been Master of Novices for 40 years and wrote that golden work The Practice of Christian Perfection, one of the most influential spiritual works ever written. There have been 50 editions in Spanish, and it has been translated into twenty four languages. |
| 1900 | Fr. Genicot, S.J. dies Professor of Moral Theology at Louvain, age 44. |
| 1984 | Francis Rouleau, S.J. dies He was an historian and expert on the Chinese Rites Controversy. |
| 2001 | Pope John Paul II creates forty four new cardinals, including Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J. |
| 2013 | Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. |
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