# Ash Wednesday Reflections and Prayers
*2022-03-07*

> Bill and John discuss receiving ashes, the meaning of Lent, and share a series of prayers from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, including the Divine Mercy Litany and the Fatima prayer.

## Receiving Ashes and the Season of Lent

Bill greets John and asks how his Ash Wednesday went. John describes a packed service with several priests and many faithful receiving ashes. Bill notes that his own Midnight Mass was half‑empty, but he’s glad people are coming. Both mention the Lenten practices of fasting, abstaining from meat on Fridays, and the tradition of receiving ashes as an outward sign of inner repentance.

## Marians’ Daily Meditation for Ash Wednesday

John shares a meditation from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception for Ash Wednesday. It reminds us that, like the Israelites who tore their garments and used ashes as a sign of repentance, we must let our hearts truly turn to God. The prayer asks the Lord to guide us through the penitential season toward the joy of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday.

## Opening Prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The hosts recite the opening prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, invoking the “Source of life, God’s boundless mercy, pour out upon the whole world.” They follow with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and a short Psalm (Psalm 130). The prayer emphasizes trusting in God’s mercy and seeking forgiveness.

## The Divine Mercy Litany

Bill and John pray the Litany of Divine Mercy, repeatedly responding, “I trust in you,” to a series of petitions that proclaim God’s mercy as infinite, source of salvation, and comfort for sinners, especially at the hour of death.

## Additional Prayers and Stories

The conversation moves to the Fatima prayer of sacrifice, a prayer to St. Joseph for obedience and healing, and a story about a chaplain who prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet before a flight that later experienced a miraculous rescue. They also recount a personal anecdote of hearing the three‑o’clock prayer in a car’s bumper‑sticker conversation, underscoring the power of the 3 p.m. hour.

Bill reminds listeners to receive ashes, observe fasting, and enjoy fish on Fridays. He encourages giving something up for Lent, sharing that he once gave up alcohol on a cruise. The episode closes with a blessing and a call to keep the Lenten disciplines.

*Let the ashes on our foreheads remind us to turn our hearts toward God’s boundless mercy throughout Lent.*