Ash Wednesday Collect
The collect for Ash Wednesday was this:
Concede nobis, Domine, praesidia militiae christianae sanctis inchoare ieiuniis, ut, contra spiritales nequitias pugnaturi, continentiae muniamur auxiliis. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum.
If you went to Mass in English, you heard:
Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the discipline of Lent, make this day holy by our self-denial. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
The English–like many of the collects–is completely different. Now, I’ll admit that the Latin is hard to translate for a number of reasons. Like all collects, it is one sentence containing several clauses. Also, this particular prayer uses extensive military imagery, which really sets the tone for Lent.
A more reasonable English translation might be (though it sounds clumsy):
Grant, O Lord, that we might begin the defense of the Christian army by holy fasting, so that, we who will fight against spiritual evils, might be safeguarded by the reinforcements of continence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
Let’s look at the Latin again, with the military terms bolded:
Concede nobis, Domine, praesidia militiae christianae sanctis inchoare ieiuniis, ut, contra spiritales nequitias pugnaturi, continentiae muniamur auxiliis. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum.
praesidium = defense, protection, garrison, detachment, support
militia = army, host, campaign
pugnaturus = about to fight
munire = to fortify, to strengthen, to defend (with a wall)
auxilia = auxiliary troops