ASH WEDNESDAY - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! PS 94:8

JOEL 2:12-18

My Soul's Beloved, 

You graciously give us another Lenten season to draw close to You. So many did not live to see the new year, many have passed on during these past few months, but to us, You give us another opportunity to return to You with all our hearts. Grant us the graces we need to be faithful in keeping the Lenten resolutions we have made that transform us, help us rid ourselves of bad habits, and cultivate those that will benefit our souls.

This is the time, now is the hour; let us not delay our conversion any longer, or it may be too late. I ask for your help, Lord, to participate in the parish community activities during this season of Lent so I may grow in faith, hope, and love. Pour Your grace into my heart so I may enter more deeply into the mysteries of Your passion and death, so I may rejoice greatly as we celebrate the feast of Your glorious resurrection into heaven.

‘Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning.’
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn,
turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in graciousness,
and ready to relent.
Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent,
will not leave a blessing as he passes,
oblation and libation
for the Lord your God?
Sound the trumpet in Zion!
Order a fast,
proclaim a solemn assembly,
call the people together,
summon the community,
assemble the elders,
gather the children,
even the infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom
and the bride her alcove.
Between vestibule and altar let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, lament.
Let them say,
‘Spare your people, Lord!
Do not make your heritage a thing of shame,
a byword for the nations.
Why should it be said among the nations,
“Where is their God?”’
Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land,
took pity on his people.

PSALM 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-6:2

My Soul's Beloved, 

If my heart is breaking that those I love so dearly in the world have separated themselves from You, how much more does God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ache that His children do not knowHim, have no desire to do so, nor do they give Him the honor, the glory, and the praise that is due for the incredible work of salvation wrought for us on the Cross. 

Beloved Jesus, grant me the graces I need to enter fully into these divine mysteries with the Church, and You will at last hear my prayers and break into the hard hearts of those family members who continue to resist Your love. Bring about their salvation, Lord, before it is too late.

We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

MATTHEW 6:1-6,16-18

TUESDAY OF WEEK 6 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him. JN 14:23

JAMES 1:12-18

My Soul's Beloved, 

Trials abound in my life and in the lives of those dearest to me. Today, I am reminded that in the testing, our character is revealed. Most of our troubles are a direct result of the sinful choices we make, and they affect not just the sinner but the entire family. We fail to consider our actions. We are ignorant of Scripture that warns us over and over of the consequences of disobedience to Your Word, and when tribulations and suffering are our lot because of the bad choices we have made, we become disconsolate, worried, anxious, and we chafe at the weight of the cross that we have brought upon ourselves.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, You know that we are sheep and we need You, our Good Shepherd, to seek us, lead us, heal us, and assist us to receive all that You desire to give us. Thank You, Lord.

Happy the man who stands firm when trials come. He has proved himself, and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Never, when you have been tempted, say, ‘God sent the temptation’; God cannot be tempted to do anything wrong, and he does not tempt anybody. Everyone who is tempted is attracted and seduced by his own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it too has a child, and the child is death.
Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers: it is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.

PSALM 93(94):12-15,18-19

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord,
whom you train by means of your law;
to him you give peace in evil days
while the pit is being dug for the wicked.

The Lord will not abandon his people
nor forsake those who are his own;
for judgement shall again be just
and all true hearts shall uphold it.

When I think: ‘I have lost my foothold’;
your mercy, Lord, holds me up.
When cares increase in my heart
your consolation calms my soul.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

MARK 8:14-21

My Soul's Beloved, 

Truly, Lord, I have no perception. My mind is closed. I have conveniently shut my mind to the countless blessings You have showered on my family and me. I am obtuse. Today You say to me, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ Why is your heart heavy? Why are you letting your black mood and your sour disposition color your relationship with those you love? This is displeasing to Me. 

Lord Jesus, I am truly sorry for forgetting that You are good, kind, faithful, loving, compassionate, and full of mercy. Grant me the grace to focus on Your blessings rather than on the trials and crosses laid on my loved ones and me. It is only through suffering endured with grace that we can receive a share in Your glory.

The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’