Lenten Journey, February 19, 2010

Lord, with your loving care guide the journey we have begun. Help us to persevere with love and sincerity.

Psalm 51
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Isaiah 58: 5-9a
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!

So, for our prayer today, let us look, carefully at what Isaiah tells "is the fasting that God wishes." Let us give God the only thing God wants: our hearts, contrite and humbled, meek and peaceful, kind and just. Then will the glory of the Lord be fully revealed as, fully alive, we give true thanks to God, Who announces to each one of us, "Here I am!"

Lord,
We know how much you love us. It’s hard for us to feel it sometimes, but we know your love is always with us. Help us to use your love as a way to persevere in our Lenten journeys. We am weak, but we know with your help, We can use these small sacrifices in our lives to draw closer to you.
Amen