Morning prayer for Ash Wednesday

The following is a short form of morning prayer for Ash Wednesday
You may wish to change the "wash me whiter than snow" part of Psalm 51 to "polish me to be shine brighter than diamonds".

ASH WEDNESDAY
The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit:
a broken and contrite heart you will not despise. Psalm 51.17

KYRIE ELEISON
In the wilderness we find your grace;you love us with an everlasting love.
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.

There is none but you to uphold our cause;our sin cries out and our guilt is great.
Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.

Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed;restore us and we shall know your joy.Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.

PSALM 51 responsorial
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.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 58 v 1 – 12
Gospel Reading: John 8.1–11

Glorious God,
your thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are your ways our ways.
You look at the ugliest soul and see, still unstirred, the wings of an angel.
All: We scan the finest of our neighbours anxious to find the flaw.

You view time in the context of eternity, and so find a place for waiting,
for yearning, even for suffering, even for dying.
All: We demand instant results;
and look for tomorrow before savouring today.

You know that only one who suffers can ultimately save,
that is why you walk the way of the cross.
All: We fear that vulnerability which defies our power;
that is why we allow for crucifixion.

Your thoughts are not our thoughts
All: Neither are your ways our ways.

And yet we know that your way is the ladder to heaven,
while, left to our own devices, our ways slope downwards to hell.
But we are here, not to have our worst confirmed, but to have our best liberated.
So we pray

All: Forgive in us what has gone wrong,
Repair in us what is wasted,
Reveal in us what is good.

And nourish us with better food than we could ever purchase:
your word, your love, your inspiration, your daily bread for our life’s journey,
in the company of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.

Make our hearts clean, O God;
All: and renew a right spirit within us.

Lord of all life, help us to work together for that daywhen your kingdom comes and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.
Look with favour on your people, gather us in your loving armsand bring us with all the saints to feast at your table in heaven.
Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken quietly in our own language)

BLESSING
Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;and the blessing of God almighty,the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.