Reading Notes:

Mothering Sunday may be celebrated in preference to the provision for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Collect

Merciful Lord,

absolve your people from their offences,

that through your bountiful goodness

we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins

which by our frailty we have committed;

grant this, heavenly Father,

for Jesus Christ’s sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Merciful Lord,

you know our struggle to serve you:

when sin spoils our lives

and overshadows our hearts,

come to our aid

and turn us back to you again;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Numbers 21.4-9

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ 6Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ 9So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 107.1-3, 17-22

1  O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, •

for his steadfast love endures for ever.

2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, •

those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3  And gathered out of the lands

from the east and from the west, •

from the north and from the south.

17  Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, •

and were plagued because of their wrongdoing.

18  Their soul abhorred all manner of food •

and drew near to the gates of death.

19  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, •

and he delivered them from their distress.

20  He sent forth his word and healed them, •

and saved them from destruction.

21  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness •

and the wonders he does for his children.

22  Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving •

and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.

or Psalm [ 107.1-9]

[

1  O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, •

for his steadfast love endures for ever.

2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, •

those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3  And gathered out of the lands

from the east and from the west, •

from the north and from the south.

4  Some went astray in desert wastes •

and found no path to a city to dwell in.

5  Hungry and thirsty, •

their soul was fainting within them.

6  So they cried to the Lord in their trouble •

and he delivered them from their distress.

7  He set their feet on the right way •

till they came to a city to dwell in.

8  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness •

and the wonders he does for his children.

9  For he satisfies the longing soul •

and fills the hungry soul with good.

]

Ephesians 2.1-10

2

You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

John 3.14-21

14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Lord God,

whose blessed Son our Saviour

gave his back to the smiters

and did not hide his face from shame:

give us grace to endure the sufferings of this present time

with sure confidence in the glory that shall be revealed;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect

Almighty God,

whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,

and entered not into glory before he was crucified:

mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,

may find it none other than the way of life and peace;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Eternal God,

give us insight

to discern your will for us,

to give up what harms us,

and to seek the perfection we are promised

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Exodus 20.1-17

20

Then God spoke all these words:

2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me.

4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

12 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 You shall not murder.

14 You shall not commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

17 You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 19

1  The heavens are telling the glory of God •

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

2  One day pours out its song to another •

and one night unfolds knowledge to another.

3  They have neither speech nor language •

and their voices are not heard,

4  Yet their sound has gone out into all lands •

and their words to the ends of the world.

5  In them has he set a tabernacle for the sun, •

that comes forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber

and rejoices as a champion to run his course.

6  It goes forth from the end of the heavens

and runs to the very end again, •

and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7  The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; •

the testimony of the Lord is sure

and gives wisdom to the simple.

8  The statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart; •

the commandment of the Lord is pure

and gives light to the eyes.

9  The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever; •

the judgements of the Lord are true

and righteous altogether.

10  More to be desired are they than gold,

more than much fine gold, •

sweeter also than honey,

dripping from the honeycomb.

11  By them also is your servant taught •

and in keeping them there is great reward.

12  Who can tell how often they offend? •

O cleanse me from my secret faults!

13  Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins

lest they get dominion over me; •

so shall I be undefiled,

and innocent of great offence.

14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight, •

O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

or Psalm [ 19.7-end]

[ 7  The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; •

the testimony of the Lord is sure

and gives wisdom to the simple.

8  The statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart; •

the commandment of the Lord is pure

and gives light to the eyes.

9  The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever; •

the judgements of the Lord are true

and righteous altogether.

10  More to be desired are they than gold,

more than much fine gold, •

sweeter also than honey,

dripping from the honeycomb.

11  By them also is your servant taught •

and in keeping them there is great reward.

12  Who can tell how often they offend? •

O cleanse me from my secret faults!

13  Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins

lest they get dominion over me; •

so shall I be undefiled,

and innocent of great offence.

14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight, •

O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

]

1 Corinthians 1.18-25

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’

20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

John 2.13-22

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ 17His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ 18The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ 19Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ 21But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Merciful Lord,

grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil,

and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Almighty God,

you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,

that they may return to the way of righteousness:

grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion,

that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession,

and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Almighty God,

by the prayer and discipline of Lent

may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,

and by following in his Way

come to share in his glory;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Genesis 17.1-7, 15-16

17

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.’ 3Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

15 God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’

This is the word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Psalm 22.23-end

23  Praise the Lord, you that fear him; •

O seed of Jacob, glorify him;

stand in awe of him, O seed of Israel.

24  For he has not despised nor abhorred the suffering of the poor;

neither has he hidden his face from them; •

but when they cried to him he heard them.

25  From you comes my praise in the great congregation; •

I will perform my vows

in the presence of those that fear you.

26  The poor shall eat and be satisfied; •

those who seek the Lord shall praise him;

their hearts shall live for ever.

27  All the ends of the earth

shall remember and turn to the Lord, •

and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.

28  For the kingdom is the Lord’s •

and he rules over the nations.

29  How can those who sleep in the earth

bow down in worship, •

or those who go down to the dust kneel before him?

30  He has saved my life for himself;

my descendants shall serve him; •

this shall be told of the Lord for generations to come.

31  They shall come and make known his salvation,

to a people yet unborn, •

declaring that he, the Lord, has done it.

Romans 4.13-end

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ 23Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

This is the word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

All Glory to you, O Lord.

Mark 8.31-end

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All Praise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Almighty God,

you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves:

keep us both outwardly in our bodies,

and inwardly in our souls;

that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body,

and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect

Almighty God,

whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,

and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:

give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;

and, as you know our weakness,

so may we know your power to save;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Heavenly Father,

your Son battled with the powers of darkness,

and grew closer to you in the desert:

help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer

that we may witness to your saving love

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Genesis 9.8-17

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ 12God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ 17God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 25.1-9

1  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;

O my God, in you I trust; •

let me not be put to shame;

let not my enemies triumph over me.

2  Let none who look to you be put to shame, •

but let the treacherous be shamed and frustrated.

3  Make me to know your ways, O Lord, •

and teach me your paths.

4  Lead me in your truth and teach me, •

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you have I hoped all the day long.

5  Remember, Lord, your compassion and love, •

for they are from everlasting.

6  Remember not the sins of my youth

or my transgressions, •

but think on me in your goodness, O Lord,

according to your steadfast love.

7  Gracious and upright is the Lord; •

therefore shall he teach sinners in the way.

8  He will guide the humble in doing right •

and teach his way to the lowly.

9  All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth •

to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

1 Peter 3.18-end

18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. 21And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

Mark 1.9-15

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Lord God,

you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven;

by it you nourish our faith,

increase our hope,

and strengthen our love:

teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread,

and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from out of your mouth;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Almighty and everlasting God,

you hate nothing that you have made

and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:

create and make in us new and contrite hearts

that we, worthily lamenting our sins

and acknowledging our wretchedness,

may receive from you, the God of all mercy,

perfect remission and forgiveness;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Holy God,

our lives are laid open before you:

rescue us from the chaos of sin

and through the death of your Son

bring us healing and make us whole

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Joel 2.1-2, 12-17

2

Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—

2 a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness spread upon the mountains

a great and powerful army comes;

their like has never been from of old,

nor will be again after them

in ages to come.

12 Yet even now, says the Lord,

return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13   rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to the Lord, your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,

and relents from punishing.

14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain-offering and a drink-offering

for the Lord, your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sanctify a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

16   gather the people.

Sanctify the congregation;

assemble the aged;

gather the children,

even infants at the breast.

Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her canopy.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar

let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.

Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord,

and do not make your heritage a mockery,

a byword among the nations.

Why should it be said among the peoples,

“Where is their God?” ’

This is the word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

or Isaiah 58.1-12

58

Shout out, do not hold back!

Lift up your voice like a trumpet!

Announce to my people their rebellion,

to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 Yet day after day they seek me

and delight to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that practised righteousness

and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;

they ask of me righteous judgements,

they delight to draw near to God.

3 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?

Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,

and oppress all your workers.

4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight

and to strike with a wicked fist.

Such fasting as you do today

will not make your voice heard on high.

5 Is such the fast that I choose,

a day to humble oneself?

Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,

and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,

the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

10 if you offer your food to the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

and your gloom be like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you continually,

and satisfy your needs in parched places,

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters never fail.

12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

the restorer of streets to live in.

This is the word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Psalm 51.1-18

1  Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness; •

according to the abundance of your compassion

blot out my offences.

2  Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness •

and cleanse me from my sin.

3  For I acknowledge my faults •

and my sin is ever before me.

4  Against you only have I sinned •

and done what is evil in your sight,

5  So that you are justified in your sentence •

and righteous in your judgement.

6  I have been wicked even from my birth, •

a sinner when my mother conceived me.

7  Behold, you desire truth deep within me •

and shall make me understand wisdom

in the depths of my heart.

8  Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; •

wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

9  Make me hear of joy and gladness, •

that the bones you have broken may rejoice.

10  Turn your face from my sins •

and blot out all my misdeeds.

11  Make me a clean heart, O God, •

and renew a right spirit within me.

12  Cast me not away from your presence •

and take not your holy spirit from me.

13  Give me again the joy of your salvation •

and sustain me with your gracious spirit;

14  Then shall I teach your ways to the wicked •

and sinners shall return to you.

15  Deliver me from my guilt, O God,

the God of my salvation, •

and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness.

16  O Lord, open my lips •

and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

17  For you desire no sacrifice, else I would give it; •

you take no delight in burnt offerings.

18  The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; •

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

2 Corinthians 5.20b-6.10

20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,

‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,

and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

This is the word of the Lord.

All

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

All

Glory to you, O Lord.

Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21

6

‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16 ‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

19 ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

or John 8.1-11

8

1while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ 6They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ 8And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Almighty God,

you have given your only Son to be for us

both a sacrifice for sin

and also an example of godly life:

give us grace

that we may always most thankfully receive

these his inestimable gifts,

and also daily endeavour to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Shrove Tuesday (also known in Commonwealth countries and Ireland as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake day) is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes. In others, especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of “fat eating” or “gorging” before the fasting period of Lent.

Shrove Tuesday

Pieter Bruegel the Elder: The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (detail), 1559

A by

Followers of many Christian denominations and common custom

Type

Christian

Date

In seventh week before Easter, day before Ash Wednesday

2017 date

February 28

2018 date

February 13

Frequency

Annual

Related to

Ash Wednesday

Fat Thursday

Mardi Gras

This moveable feast is determined by Easter. The expression “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the word shrive, meaning “absolve“.[1] Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics,[2] who “make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God’s help in dealing with.”[3]

Being the last day of the liturgical season historically known as Shrovetide, before the penitential season of Lent, related popular practices, such as indulging in food that one sacrifices for the upcoming forty days, are associated with Shrove Tuesday celebrations, before commencing the fasting and religious obligations associated with Lent. The term Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday

Contents

History

Edit

The tradition of marking the start of Lent has been documented for centuries. Ælfric of Eynsham‘s “Ecclesiastical Institutes” from around 1000 AD states: “In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him as he then may hear by his deeds what he is to do [in the way of penance]”.[4] By the time of the late Middle Ages, the celebration of Shrovetide lasted a week or more before the start of Lent.[5] Pancakes are commonly eaten on this day as they, in Christianity, symbolize “four pillars of the Christian faith–eggs for creation, flour as the mainstay of the human diet, salt for wholesomeness and milk for purity.”[6] Since foods such as butter, eggs and fat are discouraged from being eaten during the Lenten season, Christians use these ingredients during Shrovetide to make pancakes or other rich foods, such as fasnachts and pączkis.[7] The specific custom of Christians eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday dates to the 16th century.[7][8] Along with its emphasis on feasting, another theme of Shrove Tuesday involves Christians repenting of their sins in preparation to begin the season of Lent in the Christian calendar.[9] In many Christian parish churches, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, a popular Shrove Tuesday tradition is the ringing of the church bells (on this day, the toll is known as the Shriving Bell) “to call the faithful to confession before the solemn season of Lent” and for people to “begin frying their pancakes”.[10][11]

Terminology

Edit

<img alt=”” src=”//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Boris_Kustodiev_-_Shrovetide_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/310px-Boris_Kustodiev_-_Shrovetide_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg” width=”310″ height=”144″ class=”thumbimage” data-file-width=”8077″ data-file-height=”3764″>

Russian artist Boris Kustodiev‘s Maslenitsa (1916)

<img alt=”” src=”//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Zapusty-w-Podmoklach-Wielkich_1950.jpg/220px-Zapusty-w-Podmoklach-Wielkich_1950.jpg” width=”220″ height=”134″ class=”thumbimage” data-file-width=”1102″ data-file-height=”673″>

Shrove Tuesday, Bear guiding (pl) in Poland (1950)

The word shrove is a form of the English word shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be “shriven” before the start of Lent.[12]

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and parts of the Commonwealth, Shrove Tuesday is also known as “Pancake Day” as it is a common custom to eat pancakes as a meal.[13][14][15][5] Elsewhere, the day has also been called “Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras“.[16]

In Germany, the day is known as Fastnachtsdienstag, Faschingsdienstag, Karnevalsdienstag or Veilchendienstag (the last of which translates to violet [the flower] Tuesday), and celebrated with fancy dress and partial school holiday. Similarly, in German American areas such as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, it is known as Fastnacht Day.[17]

In the Netherlands, it is known as “vastenavond”, or in Limburgish dialect “vastelaovond”, though the word “vastelaovond” usually refers to the entire period of carnival in the Netherlands.[18] In some parts of Switzerland (e.g. Lucerne), the day is called Güdisdienstag, preceded by Güdismontag. According to the Duden dictionary, the term derives from “Güdel”, which means a fat stomach full of food Güdeldienstag.[19]

In Portuguese-, Spanish– and Italian-speaking countries, among others, it is known as Carnival (to use the English spelling). This derives from Medieval Latin carnelevamen (“the putting away of flesh”)[20] and thus to another aspect of the Lenten fast. It is often celebrated with street processions or fancy dress.[18] The most famous of these events is the Brazilian Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, while the Venetians celebrate carnival with a masquerade.[21] The use of the term “carnival” in other contexts derives from here. In Spain, the Carnival Tuesday is named “día de la tortilla” (“omelette day”): an omelette made with some sausage or pork fat is eaten. On the Portuguese island of Madeira, they eat malasadas on Terça-feira Gorda (Fat Tuesday in English) which is also the last day of the Carnival of Madeira. Malasadas were cooked in order to use up all the lard and sugar in the house, in preparation for Lent.[22] This tradition was taken to Hawaii, where Shrove Tuesday is known as Malasada Day, which dates back to the days of the sugar plantations of the 1800s, the resident Catholic Portuguese (mostly from Madeira and the Azores) workers used up butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of malasadas.[23]

In Denmark and Norway, the day is known as Fastelavn and is marked by eating fastelavnsboller. Fastelavn is the name for Carnival in Denmark which is either the Sunday or Monday before Ash Wednesday. Fastelavn developed from the Roman Catholic tradition of celebrating in the days before Lent, but after Denmark became a Protestant nation, the holiday became less specifically religious. This holiday occurs seven weeks before Easter Sunday, with children dressing up in costumes and gathering treats for the Fastelavn feast. The holiday is generally considered to be a time for children’s fun and family games.[24]

In Iceland, the day is known as Sprengidagur (Bursting Day) and is marked by eating salted meat and peas.[22] In Lithuania, the day is called Užgavėnės. People eat pancakes (blynai) and Lithuanian-style doughnuts.[25][26] In Sweden, the day is called Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday), and is generally celebrated by eating a type of pastry called fastlagsbulle or semla.[22] In Finland, the day is called laskiainen and is generally celebrated by eating green pea soup and a pastry called laskiaispulla (sweet bread filled with whipped cream and jam or almond paste, same as the Swedish semla). The celebration often includes downhill sledging. In Estonia, the day is called Vastlapäev and is generally celebrated by eating pea soup and whipped-cream or whipped-cream and jam filled sweet-buns called vastlakukkel, similar to the Swedish fastlagsbulle or semla. Children also typically go sledding on this day.[27]

In Poland, a related celebration falls on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and is called tłusty czwartek (Fat Thursday). In some areas of the United States, with large Polish communities, such as Chicago, Buffalo and Michigan, Tłusty Czwartek is celebrated with pączki or faworki eating contests, music and other Polish food. It may be held on Shrove Tuesday or in the days immediately preceding it.[28]

In Slovenia, Kurentovanje is also the biggest and best known carnival.[29] There are several more local carnivals usually referred to as Laufarija. In Hungary, and the Hungarian-speaking territories, it is called Húshagyókedd (hu)[30] (literally the Tuesday leaving the meat) and is celebrated by fancy dress and visiting neighbours.

Traditions

Edit

Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: in many cultures, this means no meat, dairy products, or eggs.[8]

In Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island small tokens are frequently cooked in the pancakes. Children take delight in discovering the objects, which are intended to be divinatory. For example, the person who receives a coin will be wealthy; a nail indicates that they will become or marry a carpenter.[31][32]

Festivities

Edit

<img alt=”” src=”//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/EnglishPancakeRace.jpg/220px-EnglishPancakeRace.jpg” width=”220″ height=”147″ class=”thumbimage” data-file-width=”3888″ data-file-height=”2592″>

A pancake race in the UK

In the United Kingdom, as part of community celebration, many towns held traditional Shrove Tuesday “mob football” games, some dating as far back as the 17th century. The practice mostly died out in the 19th century after the passing of the Highway Act 1835 which banned playing football on public highways.[33] A number of towns have maintained the tradition, including Alnwick in Northumberland,[34] Ashbourne in Derbyshire (called the Royal Shrovetide Football),[35] Atherstone in Warwickshire (called simply the Atherstone Ball Game),[36] St Columb Major in Cornwall (called Hurling the Silver Ball), and Sedgefield in County Durham.[37]

Shrove Tuesday was once known as a “half-holiday” in Britain. It started at 11:00am with the ringing of a church bell.[38] On Pancake Day, “pancake races” are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated in 1445 when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake, tossing it to prevent it from burning.[39][40] The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, especially England. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan while running.[41] The pancake race at Olney traditionally has women contestants who carry a frying pan and race over a 415-yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants must toss the pancake at the start and the finish, and wear a scarf and apron.[39]

Since 1950 the people of Liberal and Olney, both in Kansas, US, have held the “International Pancake Day” race between the two towns. The two towns’ competitors race along an agreed-upon measured course. The times of the two towns’ competitors are compared to determine a winner overall. After the 2009 race, Liberal was leading with 34 wins to Olney’s 25.[42] A similar race is held in North Somercotes in Lincolnshire, England.[43]

Scarborough celebrates by closing the foreshore to all traffic, closing schools early, and inviting all to skip. Traditionally, long ropes were used from the nearby harbour. The town crier rang the pancake bell, situated on the corner of Westborough (main street) and Huntress Row. Since 1996 a replica “pancake bell” situated at Newborough and North Street has been rung to initiate the day’s festivities.[44]

The children of the hamlet of Whitechapel, Lancashire keep alive a local tradition by visiting local households and asking “please a pancake”, to be rewarded with oranges or sweets. It is thought the tradition arose when farm workers visited the wealthier farm and manor owners to ask for pancakes or pancake fillings.[45]

In Scandinavia, in particular in Finland and Sweden, the day is associated with the almond paste-filled semla pastry.[46]

Thin pancakes called blini are traditional in Christian festivals in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia also at this time of year (Maslenitsa).[47]

In London, the Rehab Parliamentary Pancake Race takes place every Shrove Tuesday, with teams from the British lower house (the House of Commons), the upper house (the House of Lords), and the Fourth Estate, contending for the title of Parliamentary Pancake Race Champions. The fun relay race is to raise awareness of Rehab, which provides a range of health and social care, training, education, and employment services in the UK for disabled people and others who are marginalised.[48]

Dates

Edit

Shrove Tuesday is exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, a moveable feast based on the cycles of the moon. The date can be any between 3 February and 9 March inclusive.

Shrove Tuesday occurs on these dates:[49]

▪ 2018 – 13 February

▪ 2019 – 5 March

▪ 2020 – 25 February

▪ 2021 – 16 February

▪ 2022 – 1 March

▪ 2023 – 21 February

▪ 2024 – 13 February

▪ 2025 – 4 March

▪ 2026 – 17 February

▪ 2027 – 9 February

▪ 2028 – 29 February

▪ 2029 – 13 February

▪ 2030 – 5 March

▪ 2031 – 25 February

▪ 2032 – 10 February

▪ 2033 – 1 March

▪ 2034 – 21 February

▪ 2035 – 6 February

▪ 2036 – 26 February

▪ 2037 – 17 February

▪ 2038 – 9 March

▪ 2039 – 22 February

▪ 2040 – 14 February

▪ 2041 – 5 March

▪ 2042 – 18 February

▪ 2043 – 10 February

▪ 2044 – 1 March

▪ 2045 – 21 February

▪ 2046 – 6 February

▪ 2047 – 26 February

▪ 2048 – 18 February

▪ 2049 – 2 March

▪ 2050 – 22 February

▪ 2051 – 14 February

▪ 2052 – 5 March

▪ 2053 – 18 February

▪ 2054 – 10 February

▪ 2055 – 2 March

▪ 2056 – 15 February

▪ 2057 – 6 March

▪ 2058 – 26 February

▪ 2059 – 11 February

▪ 2060 – 2 March

▪ 2061 – 22 February

▪ 2062 – 7 February

▪ 2063 – 27 February

▪ 2064 – 19 February

▪ 2065 – 10 February

▪ 2066 – 23 February

▪ 2067 – 15 February

▪ 2068 – 6 March

▪ 2069 – 26 February

▪ 2070 – 11 February

▪ 2071 – 3 March

▪ 2072 – 23 February

▪ 2073 – 7 February

▪ 2074 – 27 February

▪ 2075 – 19 February

▪ 2076 – 3 March

▪ 2077 – 23 February

▪ 2078 – 15 February

▪ 2079 – 7 March

▪ 2080 – 20 February

▪ 2081 – 11 February

▪ 2082 – 3 March

▪ 2083 – 16 February

▪ 2084 – 8 February

▪ 2085 – 27 February

▪ 2086 – 12 February

▪ 2087 – 4 March

▪ 2088 – 24 February

▪ 2089 – 15 February

▪ 2090 – 28 February

▪ 2091 – 20 February

▪ 2092 – 12 February

▪ 2093 – 24 February

▪ 2094 – 16 February

▪ 2095 – 8 March

▪ 2096 – 28 February

▪ 2097 – 12 February

▪ 2098 – 4 March

▪ 2099 – 24 February

▪ 2100 – 9 February

See also

Edit

▪ Bonfire of the Vanities

▪ Clean Monday

▪ Collop Monday

▪ Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama – United States French-Catholic festival

▪ Nickanan Night

▪ New Orleans Mardi Gras

▪ Nuremberg Shrovetide Carnival

▪ Powder Day

▪ Shrove Monday

▪ Maslenitsa

▪ Shrove Tuesday: The Legend of Pancake Marion

References

Edit

1 ^ Melitta Weiss Adamson, Francine Segan (2008). Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313086892. “In Anglican countries, Mardis Gras is known as Shrove Tuesday-from shrive meaning “confess”-or Pancake Tuesday”-after the breakfast food that symbolizes one final hearty meal of eggs, butter, and sugar before the fast. On Ash Wednesday, the morning after Mardi Gras, repentant Christians return to church to receive upon the forehead the sign of the cross in ashes.”

2 ^ Shrove Tuesday inspires unique church traditions KATIE WALKER Archived 14 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine. 7 March 2011

3 ^ Shrove Tuesday DARREN PROVINE 1 March 2014

4 ^ “CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Shrovetide”. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

5 ^ a b Self, David (1993). One Hundred Readings for Assembly. Heinemann. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-435-80041-3.

6 ^ Ross, Philip (17 February 2015). “Pancake Day 2015: The History And Meaning Of ‘Shrove Tuesday’ And What Makes The Perfect Pancake”. International Business Times. Retrieved 19 February 2017.

7 ^ a b Collins, Tony; Martin, John; Vamplew, Wray (2005). Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports. Psychology Press. p. 202. ISBN 9780415352246. “The association between pancakes and Shrove Tuesday appears to have its origins in the fact that the pancakes used up food such as butter, eggs and fat that were prohibited during Lent, which begins the following day on Ash Wednesday. … Pancakes have been eaten on Shrove Tuesday since at least the sixteenth century. In some parishes it was the custom for the church bell to ring at noon as the signal for people to begin frying their pancakes.”

8 ^ a b Ross, Philip (17 February 2015). “Pancake Day 2015: The History And Meaning Of ‘Shrove Tuesday’ And What Makes The Perfect Pancake”. International Business Times. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.

9 ^ Stephens, Valerie. Basic Philosophy. p. 21. ISBN 9781329951747. “Then there is Shrove Tuesday, which is the day observed before Ash Wednesday or Lent. Shrove Tuesday derives from the days where the earliest practicing Christians would repent of their sins and be “shriven” or pardoned.”

10 ^ Cocks, Alfred Heneage (1897). The church bells of Buckinghamshire: their inscriptions, founders, and uses, and traditions; &c. Jarrold & sons. p. 276.

11 ^ Pulleyn, William (1828). The Etymological Compendium, Or Portfolio of Origins and Inventions. Richard Griffin and Company. p. 192.

12 ^ “CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Shrovetide”. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.

13 ^ “Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day!”. Irish Culture and Customs. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 17 November 2006.

14 ^ “Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) in the UK”. British Embassy, Washington DC. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2006.

15 ^ “Easter in Australia”. The Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal. Archived from the original on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 17 November 2006.

16 ^ Love Life Live Lent Family Book: Transform Your World. Church House Publishing. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7151-4182-3. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017.

17 ^ Shoemaker, Alfred Lewis (2000). Eastertide in Pennsylvania: A Folk-cultural Study. Stackpole Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8117-0548-6. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017.

18 ^ a b Spicer, Dorothy Gladys (1973). Festivals of Western Europe. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-7999-7. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017.

19 ^ “Güdeldienstag”. Duden. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

20 ^ American Heritage Dictionary

21 ^ “History of Venice Carnival”. Oltrex. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

22 ^ a b c “This is what people eat on Shrove Tuesday around the world”. Metro. 26 February 2016. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

23 ^ “Malasada Day”. Leonard’s Bakery. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

24 ^ “Fastelavn celebration”. Danish Home of Chicago. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

25 ^ “Užgavėnės”. Lithuanian Music Hall Association. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

26 ^ “The Shrove Festival (February)”. visit Lithuania.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

27 ^ Complete Estonian: Teach Yourself. Hachette. 2012. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-444-17349-9. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017.

28 ^ [1] Archived 16 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine.

29 ^ Isalaska, Anita (4 March 2015). “10 Reasons to Visit Slovenia in 2015”. CNN. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

30 ^ Amon, Ildi (27 January 2015). “Explainer: Farsang celebrations in Hungary”. welovebudapest.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

31 ^ “Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage”. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.

32 ^ “Its Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Day”. Cape Breton Post. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014.

33 ^ Polley, Martin (2013). The British Olympics: Britain’s Olympic Heritage 1612–2012. English Heritage. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-848-02226-3.

34 ^ “Hundreds gather for Alnwick Shrovetide game”. BBC News. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

35 ^ “Ashbourne Shrovetide Football: Up’Ards take honours on first day”. BBC News. 9 February 2016. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

36 ^ “Dive for cover – it’s the Atherstone Ball Game!”. BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

37 ^ “Shrove Tuesday events”. The Daily Telegraph. 3 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

38 ^ “Cooks Guide”. Cooks Guide. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.

39 ^ a b “The origin of pancake racing”. Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.

40 ^ “Olney Pancake Race”. ukstudentlife.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.

41 ^ Tony Collins; John Martin; Wray Vamplew, eds. (2005). Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports. Psychology Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-415-35224-6. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017.

42 ^ “Liberal wins 60th Int’l Pancake race”. United Press International (UPI). Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2011.

43 ^ “Welcome to Our Village”. North Somercoates Parish Council. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

44 ^ “Skipping Day 2015”. Scarborough.uk. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

45 ^ (7 February 2008), “Pancake traditions in village” Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine., Longridge News, accessed 16 June 2010

46 ^ “Lent Buns (Semlor)”. swedishfood.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

47 ^ “Maslenitsa”. advantour.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

48 ^ “MPs had a pancake race and it got a bit rowdy”. Metro. 9 February 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.

49 ^ “Mardi Gras Dates”. Nutrias.org. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2014.

External links

Almighty Father,

whose Son was revealed in majesty

before he suffered death upon the cross:

give us grace to perceive his glory,

that we may be strengthened to suffer with him

and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Holy God,

you know the disorder of our sinful lives:

set straight our crooked hearts,

and bend our wills to love your goodness and your glory

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

2 Kings 2.1-12

2

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. 3The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent.’

4 Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho. 5The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he answered, ‘Yes, I know; be silent.’

6 Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ 10He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’ 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

This is the word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Psalm 50.1-6

1  The Lord, the most mighty God, has spoken •

and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2  Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth; •

our God comes and will not keep silence.

3  Consuming fire goes out before him •

and a mighty tempest stirs about him.

4  He calls the heaven above, •

and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5  ‘Gather to me my faithful, •

who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.’

6  Let the heavens declare his righteousness, •

for God himself is judge.

2 Corinthians 4.3-6

3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

This is the word of the Lord.

All

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

All

Glory to you, O Lord.

Mark 9.2-9

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All Praise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Holy God,

we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ:

may we who are partakers at his table

reflect his life in word and deed,

that all the world may know his power to change and save.

This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.