Feast

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Wednesday, 18 February 2026 : Ash Wednesday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Joel 2 : 12-18

YHVH says, “Yet even now, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning. Rend your heart, not your garment. Return to YHVH, your God – gracious and compassionate.” YHVH is slow to anger, full of kindness, and He repents of having punished.

Who knows? Probably He will relent once more and spare some part of the harvest from which we may bring sacred offerings to YHVH, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, proclaim a sacred fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the community, bring together the elders, even the children and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his bed, and the bride her room.

Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, YHVH’s ministers, weep and say : Spare Your people, YHVH? Do not humble them or make them an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples : Where is their God?

YHVH has become jealous for His land; He has had pity on His people.

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(Usus Antiquior) Ash Wednesday (I Classis) – Wednesday, 18 February 2026 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Preface, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Offertory

Psalm 29 : 2-3

Exaltabo Te, Domine, quoniam suscepisti me, nec delectasti inimicos meos super me : Domine, clamavi ad Te, et sanasti me.

English translation

I will extol You, o Lord, for You have uphold me, and have not made my enemies to rejoice over me. O Lord, I have cried to You, and You have healed me.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Fac nos, quaesumus, Domine, his muneribus offerendis convenienter aptari : quibus ipsius venerabilis sacramenti celebramus exordium. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Make us duly fit, we beseech You, o Lord, for the offering of these gifts, with which we celebrate the beginning of the august sacrament itself. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Preface of Lent

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos Tibi semper et ubique gratias agere : Domine, Sancte Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : Qui corporali jejunio vitia comprimis, mentem elevas, virtutem largiris et praemia : per Christum, Dominum nostrum.

Per quem majestatem Tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates. Caeli caelorumque Virtutes ac beata Seraphim socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti jubeas, deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes :

English translation

It is truly meet and just, right and profitable, for us, at all times, and in all places, to give thanks to You, o Lord, the Holy One, the Father Almighty, the Everlasting God, Who on those who chastise their bodies by fasting had bestowed the restraining of evil passions, uplifting of heart, and the enjoying of virtue with its reward. Through Christ our Lord.

Through Whom the Angels praise, the Dominations adore, the Powers, trembling with awe, worship Your majesty, which the heavens, and the forces of heaven, together with the blessed Seraphim, joyfully magnify. And may You command that it be permitted to our lowliness to join with them in confessing You and unceasingly to repeat :

Communion

Psalm 1 : 2, 3

Qui meditabitur in lege Domini die ac nocte, dabit fructum suum in tempore suo.

English translation

He who shall meditate on the Law of the Lord, day and night, shall bring forth his fruit in due season.

Post-Communion Prayer

Percepta nobis, Domine, praebeant sacramenta subsidium : ut Tibi grata sint nostra jejunia, et nobis proficiant ad medelam. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

May the sacraments we have received, o Lord, give us help, that our fasts may be pleasing to You and profitable to us as a healing remedy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer over the People

Oremus.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Inclinantes se, Domine, majestati Tuae, propitiatus intende : ut, qui divino munere sunt refecti, caelestibus semper nutriantur auxiliis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Let us pray.

Bow down your heads before God.

Look with favour, o Lord, on those who bow before Your majesty, that those who have been refreshed with the divine gift may ever be strengthened with heavenly aids. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Ash Wednesday (I Classis) – Wednesday, 18 February 2026 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Matthew 6 : 16-21

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus discipulis Suis : Cum jejunatis, nolite fieri, sicut hypocritae, tristes. Exterminant enim facies suas, ut appareant hominibus jejunantes. Amen, dico vobis, quia receperunt mercedem suam.

Tu autem, cum jejunas, unge caput tuum, et faciem tuam lava, ne videaris hominibus jejunans, sed Patri tuo, qui est in abscondito : et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi.

Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra : ubi aerugo et tinea demolitur : et ubi fures effodiunt et furantur. Thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in caelo : ubi neque aerugo neque tinea demolitur; et ubi fures non effodiunt nec furantur. Ubi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum.

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you fast, do not be as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, so that they may appear unto men as fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that you do not appear to men as fasting, but to your Father Who is in secret, and Who sees what is done in secret will repay you.”

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor moth could consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there is your heart also.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Ash Wednesday (I Classis) – Wednesday, 18 February 2026 : Gradual and Tract

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Gradual

Psalm 56 : 2, 4

Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei : quoniam in Te confidit anima mea.

Response : Misit de caelo, et liberavit me, dedit in opprobrium conculcantes me.

English translation

Have mercy on me, o Lord, have mercy on me, for my soul trusted in You.

Response : He had sent from heaven and delivered me. He had made them a reproach, those who trod upon me.

Tract

Psalm 102 : 10 and Psalm 78 : 8-9

Domine, non secundum peccata nostra, quae fecimus nos : neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuas nobis.

Response : Domine, ne memineris iniquitatum nostratum antiquarum : cito anticipent nos misericordiae Tuae, quia pauperes facti sumus nimis.

(Genuflect)

Response : Adjuva nos, Deus, salutaris noster : et propter gloriam Nominis Tui, Domine, libera nos : et propitius esto peccatis nostris, propter Nomen Tuum.

English translation

O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities.

Response : O Lord, do not remember our former iniquities, let Your mercies speedily prevent us, for we have become exceedingly poor.

(Genuflect)

Response : Help us, o God, our Saviour and for the glory of Your Name. O Lord, deliver us and forgive us our sins for Your Name’s sake.

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(Usus Antiquior) Ash Wednesday (I Classis) – Wednesday, 18 February 2026 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour: Violet

Lectio Joelis Prophetae – Lesson from Joel the Prophet

Joel 2 : 12-19

Haec dicit Dominus : Convertimini ad me in toto corde vestro, in jejunio, et in fletu, et in planctu. Et scindite corda vestra, et non vestimenta vestra, et convertimini ad Dominum, Deum vestrum : quia benignus et misericors est, patiens, et multae misericordiae, et praestabilis super malitia.

Quis scit, si convertatur, et ignoscat, et relinquat post se benedictionem, sacrificium et libamen Domino, Deo vestro? Canite tuba in Sion, sanctificate jejunium, vocate caetum, congregate populum, sanctificate ecclesiam, coadunate senes, congregate parvulos et sugentes ubera : egrediatur sponsus de cubili suo, et sponsa de thalamo suo.

Inter vestibulum et altare plorabunt sacerdotes ministri Domini, et dicent : Parce, Domine, parce populo Tuo : et ne des hereditatem Tuam in opprobrium, ut dominentur eis nationes. Quare dicunt in populis : Ubi est Deus eorum? Zelatus est Dominus terram suam, et pepercit populo suo.

Et respondit Dominus, et dixit populo suo : Ecce, ego mittam vobis frumentum et vinum et oleum, et replebimini eis : et non dabo vos ultra opprobrium in gentibus dicit Dominus omnipotens.

English translation

Thus said the Lord, “Be converted to Me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning. And rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil.”

“Who knows but He will return and forgive and leave a blessing behind Him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather together the people, sanctify the Church, assemble the ancients, gather together the little ones and those who suck at the breasts, let the bridegroom go forth from his bed and the bride out of her bride chamber.”

“Between the porch and the altar the priests, the Lord’s ministers, shall weep and shall say, ‘Spare, o Lord, spare Your people, and do not give Your inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations : Where is their God? The Lord had been zealous for His land, and had spared His people.'”

And the Lord answered and said to His people, “Behold I will send you corn and wine and oil, and you shall be filled with them, and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations,” said the Lord Almighty.

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(Usus Antiquior) Ash Wednesday (I Classis) – Wednesday, 18 February 2026 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Introit

Wisdom 11 : 24, 25, 27 and Psalm 56 : 2

Miserere omnium, Domine, et nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti, dissimulans peccata hominum propter paenitentiam et parcens illis : quia Tu es Dominus, Deus noster.

Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei : quoniam in Te confidit anima mea.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

You have mercy upon all, o Lord, and hated none of the things which You have made, winking at the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them, for You are the Lord our God.

Have mercy on me, o God, have mercy on me, for my soul trusted in You.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Praesta, Domine, fidelibus Tuis : ut jejuniorum veneranda sollemnia, et congrua pietate suscipiant, et secura devotione percurant. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Grant to Your faithful, o Lord, that they may both undertake the venerable solemnities of fasting with piety and carry them through with unwavering devotion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Sunday, 15 February 2026 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we come to the sixth and the last Sunday before the beginning of the season of Lent this coming Wednesday, each and every one of us are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians, as the Lord’s faithful disciples and followers, all of us need to truly obey the Lord in the Law and the commandments that He has given to all of us, His beloved people, in the manner that we truly understand, appreciate and know the full meaning and purpose of all that He has laid before us. We must not be those who merely pay lip service of our faith and belief in the Lord, and at the same time we must also not be like those who obey the letter of the Law but fail to truly appreciate and understand its spirit.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the passage taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, in which the prophet spoke of the matter of obedience to the Law and the commandments of God as I had just mentioned, and how God has given His people, the Israelites back then and now also all of us, all of us who have chosen Him as our Lord and Master, believing in His truth and teachings. We should always believe in Him wholeheartedly and with true understanding of His Law, His ways and all of His precepts. As prophet Sirach mentioned, God has given us all the freedom to choose our paths and choice of actions in life, but He has also made it clear that if we side with Him and follow Him, we will be blessed while those who choose to go against Him will face their just consequences in the end.

We are reminded that we should not be merely literally understanding the Law of God without truly appreciating and understanding what He has placed in our lives, the Law and the commandments by which He wanted to teach us all on how we can be His better disciples and followers with each and every moments we have. We should not blindly follow Him without truly understanding His intentions, how He wants each and every one of us to understand His most wonderful, genuine and pure love, so that we ourselves may love Him in the same way, in loving our fellow brothers and sisters around us as well, and especially in how we love those whom He has given us to love, those who are truly precious and beloved to us in our lives.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, the words of the Apostle to them all regarding the matter of the wisdom which God has given to all of us which far surpasses any kind of worldly wisdom, intellect and understanding. God did not give us all the spirit of confusion or ignorance, but rather the Spirit of Wisdom and clarity, in proclaiming His truth and love, His Good News and revelation to all of us without exception, as He has always revealed His love and gentle presence in our midst, calling on all of us to follow Him wholeheartedly and with great and true faith in Him.

Through what we have heard, we are reminded that we should not put our trust only in our worldly understanding and finite wisdom and knowledge of this world. It is not that the wisdom of the world has no merit or virtue, as they can indeed be good and wonderful sources of insight and knowledge, but we must always fall back upon the wisdom of God, the great and Divine Wisdom and truth which He has provided us, and which He has bestowed on us through His gift of the Holy Spirit and the revelation that He has passed onto us. All of these have made us all to be capable of understanding and appreciating His Divine design and will for us, and it is therefore important that we should all discern carefully our paths in life.

Finally, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers, and all those who followed Him of the need for all of them to truly appreciate and understand the meaning, purpose and intention of the Law of God which they had been given and entrusted with by the Lord. He spoke about all these in the context of how the people of that time had not been practicing the Law in the manner that the Lord has intended them to, especially their leaders and those entrusted with the guardianship of the Law, like the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees.

Instead of obeying the Law faithfully as they should havem they allowed themselves to be swayed by worldly concerns and matters, and focusing themselves so much more on the literal aspects and details of the Law, the customs, practices and the ways that were added over the many centuries since the Law was revealed and passed down to the people of Israel through Moses. They bothered themselves and focused so much on the minute details of the rituals and practices of the Law, and was so rigid and unbending on its implementations that they ended up forgetting about why those laws and rules were established and given by the Lord in the first place. Not only that, but they were also arbitrary in the manner how they exercised those laws and rules to suit their preferences.

That was why the Lord made it clear before all that they ought to truly understand what the Law of God had been meant for, to lead and guide all of the people of God towards Him and to teach them all to love Him and one another wholeheartedly. And it is meant to show how they should live their lives with virtue and righteousness, with sincerity of heart and mind, living worthily at all times and following the commandments with true understanding and appreciation, doing their best to walk in the path of God’s righteousness and grace. That is why the Lord was very critical of those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who often made use of the Law and the commandments to glorify themselves in the eyes of the people, and failing to apply them properly and worthily.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we conclude our reflection for this Sunday and prepare ourselves ever more wholeheartedly for a truly fruitful upcoming season of Lent, let us all therefore continue to strive to lead a truly holy and worthy life before the Lord. May the Lord continue to bless us in our lives and guide us all in our respective paths so that we may continue to walk ever more faithfully in His Presence, becoming good role models and inspirations for one another. Amen.

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Sunday, 15 February 2026 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 5 : 17-37

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “Do not think that I have come to annul the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to annul them but to fulfil them. I tell you this : as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in the Law will change until all is fulfilled.”

“So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them, and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the kingdom of heaven.”

“I tell you then, if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to our people in the past : Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you : whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial.”

“Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or a sister, ‘Fool!’ deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God.”

“Do not forget this : be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.”

“You have heard that it was said : Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this : anyone who looks at a woman too lustfully has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart. So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.”

“It was also said : Anyone who divorces his wife, must give her a written notice of divorce. But what I tell you is this : if a man divorces his wife, except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

“You have also heard that people were told in the past : Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept. But I tell you this : do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne, nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Say yes when you mean yes, and say no when you mean no. Anything else you say comes from the devil.”

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 5 : 20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “I tell you then, if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to our people in the past : Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you : whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial.”

“You have heard that it was said : Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this : anyone who looks at a woman too lustfully has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart. You have also heard that people were told in the past : Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept. But I tell you this : do not take oaths. Say yes when you mean yes, and say no when you mean no. Anything else you say comes from the devil.”

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Sunday, 15 February 2026 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 2 : 6-10

In fact, we do speak of wisdom to the mature in faith, although it is not a wisdom of this world or of its rulers, who are doomed to perish. We teach the mystery and secret plan of divine wisdom, which God destined from the beginning to bring us to Glory.

No ruler of this world ever knew this; otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as Scripture says : Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it dawned on the mind what God has prepared for those who love Him. God has revealed it to us, through His Spirit, because the Spirit probes everything, even the depth of God.

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Sunday, 15 February 2026 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 118 : 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34

Blessed are they whose ways are upright, who follow the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who treasure His word and seek Him with all their heart.

You have laid down precepts to be obeyed. O, that my ways were steadfast in observing Your statutes!

Be kind to Your servant, that I may live to follow Your word. Open my eyes that I may see the marvellous truths in Your law.

Explain to me, o Lord, Your commandments, and I will be ever faithful to them. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law with all my heart.