FEBRUARY 18 2026
Leader: O Lord, open my lips. All: And my mouth shall declare your praise.
Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Psalm 119:145-152
I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,
I will keep your commands;
I call upon you, save me
and I will do your will.
I rise before dawn and cry for help,
I hope in your word.
My eyes watch through the night
to ponder your promise.
In your love hear my voice, O Lord;
give me life by your decrees.
Those who harm me unjustly draw near:
they are far from your law.
But you, O Lord, are close:
your commands are truth.
Long have I known that your will
is established for ever.
Reading: Isaiah 58:5-9
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed,
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
Pray either the Canticle of Zechariah or the Canticle of Mary. You can find them here.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah: When you fast, do not put on a gloomy face, like the hypocrites.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Mary: When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
Intercessions
Jesus, come and save us!
Help us to repent of all our sins.
Jesus, come and save us!
Help us to turn back to you with our whole heart.
Jesus, come and save us!
Merciful Father,
Help us in our Lenten journey to repent and turn to you. We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son who lives with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
