Ash Wednesday

Useful references and appealing illustrations.

Whimsical and not quite so useful, but I enjoyed them: click here and here. And fairly accurate for a daily newspaper, even if not wholly in earnest.

Hearken to the sighs of Thy people who cry to Thee, O Lord, we beseech Thee. Grant that we who rely not upon our own merits may find mercy in Thy sight, not the judgement we have deserved.
Lovingly pardon, O Lord, we beseech Thee, all our sins, so that, having obtained remission of our offences, we may serve Thee with hearts unfettered by sin.
We beseech Thee, O Lord, afford the help of Thy consolations to Thy people, and in Thy mercy help them to bear the burden of their daily cares. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

--from Ancestral Prayers, "prayers used by our forefathers before the Norman Conquest". Edited and translated by Abbot Gasquet