Mar. 3 Thursday after Ash Wednesday; Optional Memorial of St. Katharine Drexel, virgin (USA), Opt. Mem.

Communion Antiphon: Ps 51 (50):12:Create a pure heart for me, O God; renew a steadfast spirit within me.The ashes are scarcely washed clean from our foreheads. In this second Lenten Mass we get down to work on our spiritual program. The first four Masses in Lent are a unit. They describe the area of concentration and the dimensions of our Lenten program. Today’s Mass teaches that it is the soul’s life we are concerned with. The Opening Prayer at Mass is the usual one said when beginning a major work.