Anglican Ash Wednesday Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing you have made
and forgive the sins of all who are penitent:
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
1979 Book of Common Prayer

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The background story of Anglican Ash Wednesday Collect

The Anglican Ash Wednesday Collect is a prayer recited during the Ash Wednesday service in the Anglican Church. It is one of the collect prayers used in the liturgy and expresses the penitential nature of the season of Lent.

The origins of the Ash Wednesday Collect can be traced back to the early Anglican Church, when the use of collect prayers in worship became widespread. The prayer’s structure and wording have undergone various revisions over time, reflecting changes in the language and liturgical practices of the Church.

The Ash Wednesday Collect’s focus on repentance and humility before God has made it a powerful tool of spiritual transformation for Anglicans around the world. The prayer’s opening words, “Almighty and everlasting God,” express the majesty and power of God, while the rest of the prayer recognizes the Church’s collective sinfulness and need for forgiveness.

In modern Anglican practices, the Ash Wednesday Collect is usually preceded by the Imposition of Ashes, a solemn ritual in which a cross is marked on the forehead of the congregants using ashes. The Collect is then recited as a way to deepen the Church’s spiritual commitment to repentance and transformation during the season of Lent.

The Anglican Ash Wednesday Collect remains an important part of the Lenten liturgy, reminding adherents of the Church’s commitment to the pursuit of spiritual purity and the need for individual and collective repentance.