The ashes, beginning of Lent
The word ‘ashes’ characterises the first day of Lent in the Roman Rite. In fact, on this day a little ash is imposed on the head of each believer, ash obtained by burning the olive branches blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year.
The second antiphon proposed by the Graduale Romanum for the rite of the imposition of ashes is taken from the books of Joel (2, 17) and Esther (13, 17) with the following text:
“Iuxta vestibulum et altare
plorabunt sacerdotes et levitæ ministri Domini, dicentes:
Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo,
et ne dissipes ora clamantium ad te, Domine.”
(Between the vestibule and the altar,
the priests and the Levites, the ministers of the Lord, will weep and say:
“Spare your people, spare them O Lord,
and do not destroy the mouth of those who call upon you”).
The attached music is by Cristobal del Morales, published in Venice in 1543 (Musica vocum quatuor, civis pars est aequali voce reliqua impari decantanda. Modo in lucem emissa [Venetijs apud Hieronymum Scotum, 1543]). The interpretation is by the Cappella Musicale del Duomo di Milano at the Chapter Celebration on 19 February 2023.
A blessed Ash Wednesday and heartfelt greetings.
