2nd Sunday in Lent, 5 Mar 1955

The arrangement of the Prayer Book: The Ash Wednesday Collect is to be repeated every day in addition to the Collect for the Sunday. In that Collect the prayer is: ‘Create and make in us new and contrite hearts.’ Why is it repeated every day?

It is the intention of the Church that as a result of all our prayers, study and devotions during this season our hearts must be changed – a changed outlook on life, a changed relationship with our fellowmen and a changed attitude towards our religious duties and a new love and devotion to God. Unless there is such a change at the end of the Season of Lent, all our efforts in attending additional services and listening to sermons will be in vain. It is easy for us to go through this Season of Lent, Good Friday and Easter with no change in our manner of life at the end. We may attend services and may feel momentarily uplifted by the worship, but we may not be willing to face the challenge the Season of Lent brings to all of us. By the repetition of this Collect every day, the Church brings before us our duty of cooperating with God to make that prayer effective in us: ‘Create and make in us new and contrite heart.'

The Season of Lent is not meant to be a gloomy time, but it is meant to be a serious time, in which we think as deeply as we are able about God’s purpose for the world, and our response to His call. These are grave days for the Church, particularly for us here in Ceylon. The life of the Church is threatened by immensely powerful enemies without and by a process of inward decay.

The hold of the Christian faith in the life of the nations certainly seems far less firm than it was fifty years ago or a hundred years ago. It is a serious thing that so many Christians are content to go on living on the surface without facing squarely God’s demands upon them. There is a great conflict going on in the world between God and the power of evil. We believe that in this conflict God will become ultimately victorious. But His victory depends on every one of us.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that you have made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.

Psalm 51 – David’s expression of repentance and prayer for pardon for his sin is used on Ash Wednesday. It has been the most commonly used act of contrition among Christians. Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.