Jesus, you are near.
Smudge me with the truth.
I am dust. I am mortal.
My time here is precious but short.
Empower me to make it count.

Use this muddy mark to help me claim humility.
With all my fellow humans, “I am of the earth.”
Flawed. Incomplete.
Grounded. Glorious.
In you, no more and no less.
Sharing a common bond, a sacred worth, with all living things.

Use this sacred stain to remind me to sorrow:
to lament the spoiling and wasting of your good gifts,
to mourn all the ways I destroy the earth, others, and myself,
to grieve evil and injustice, discrimination and apathy,
and especially the sins I embrace.
Heal me. Save me. Raise me to new life.

Jesus, I bear your ashen cross,
the beautiful, brutal sign of your infinite grace,
seeking me, meeting me here and always.
Redeem me, renew me, re-member me with your steadfast love.

Blessed be your name.

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A Prayer for Ash Wednesday © 2024 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use these works in a worship setting without asking permission. It’s always a treat to hear from you if you’re using it. Please note the source of the prayer in the following way: Name of Prayer by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, http://www.revlisad.com.

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