... for this second Sunday in Lent. This was posted on FB by a friend of mine from college, and it struck me as a good prayer for Lenten devotion.
"Lord, I am in this world to show Your mercy to others. Other people will glorify You by making visible the power of Your graceby their fidelity and constancy to You. For my part I will glorify You by making known how good You are to sinners, that Your mercy is boundless and that no sinner no matter how great his offences should have reason to despair of pardon. If I have grievously offended You, My Redeemer, let me not offend You even more by thinking that You are not kind enough to pardon Me. Amen."
By Father Claude La Colombière, the confessor and spiritual director of Margaret Mary Alacoque. I am told, by the same friend who originally posted this, that when Margaret Mary began having her visions of Christ, Father Claude tested the reality of the visions by telling her to ask the Lord what his (Father Claude's) greatest sin was - something which Margaret Mary could not know. Apparently, she came back with the answer from Christ "I don't remember." Although the cynic in me thinks that sounds like an easy out, it also sounds remarkably like the sort of thing Jesus might say, perhaps with a little bit of playfulness.
Not a phrase you are likely to read often. However, Lent is one of my favorite seasons of the year, as it always feels like a time of real slowing down and introspection. This is just a light post, because anyone who is observing Lent will surely get enough that's grave and weighty today.
For resources on keeping Lent, take a look at Full Homely Divinity, a useful little website with thoughts, suggestions and history on the seasons of the year. As you might guess from the title, the emphasis of the website is on ways to keep the seasons of the Church year in mundane, domestic life - not just in the liturgical setting of corporate worship. Check it out, it's a fun website.
The Collect
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who 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; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And, reposting from last year, here is a little song by Tom Waits, that always seems terribly fitting to me on Ash Wednesday. I'm probably a little odd, but I can live with that. This time, it's a cover done by the great Johnny Cash.
Have a blessed Ash Wednesday everybody, and a holy Lent.
