Lord God,
this Lent wash away all my doubts about your love for me, for others,
and for all creation,
that I may proclaim your goodness.
Teach me to become perfect as you are perfect,
in all my ways.
May I, with your help, come to see and love in others your own image and likeness,
especially in those I find difficult.
May my Lenten observance help me to enter into the dying and rising Jesus,
that I may experience and share with others your joy,
and rejoice with a new song in my heart together
with all your children.  

Amen. 

Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent & Easter

by Ron Rolheiser, OMI

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

“A quality that endeared Henri Nouwen to the world was his candor about his own shortcomings and his refusal to pretend he was anything other than what he was: a sincere, weak man struggling to live his life in honesty.

There were seasons in his life when Nouwen wouldn’t go on the road alone to give talks and conferences. He had a sense of community and wanted a core member from his community to share the experience with him. But the humble Nouwen was also honest enough to know that he couldn’t always fully trust himself to travel alone. The presence of family and community can be a powerful moral watchdog on our behavior. Nouwen understood this.   

Too often we lack that kind of humility and honesty and consequently have things to hide. The little or big secrets we tuck away keep us from full moral health.
 

The human spirit is not made to live in dishonesty and duplicity. When we do wrong, we either have to stop doing wrong or at least own up to our weakness and be contrite. If we don’t get honest, our spirits will begin to harden and warp. Such is the anatomy of the soul. This Lent and always, let’s let go of any duplicity, and get and stay honest.  

For many people, Lent is the time for celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation.

Confession refresher 101
After the initial greetings, the priest then invites the you to express your sins and place them before God for forgiveness and healing. This is best done in a conversational way, and the priest is part of the conversation. 

The priest then gives a “penance” which may be a prayer or a good work that will help bring healing.

You are invited to express sorrow for your sins – a traditional Act of Contrition or a prayer of sorrow in your own words. 

The priest extends his hands over you and says the Prayer of Absolution to which you respond, “Amen.” (If seated, out of reverence for the presence of God’s mercy, some kneel at this point)

You are invited to give thanks to the Lord for his mercy in your own words. Normal “good-byes” are fine as you leave.