40 Shades of Lent, Wednesday, Week I, 04 March 2020
Jonas 3:1-10 +++ 0 +++ Luke 11:29-32
Our dearest Father in heaven:
On this first week of Lent, we pray for the grace that we become more trusting of ourselves, of our worth, of our identity as your beloved children.
Until now, we can hear your Son Jesus our Lord lamenting that “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah (Lk.11:29)” because we keep on looking for signs from you and from others before we can believe in ourselves.
Remind us, O God, that we are already a sign of your presence in Christ Jesus, our Emmanuel or “God-is-with-us”.
Like Jonah in the first reading, we keep on running away from you, from disobeying your will.
Worst of all, like Jonah, we cannot trust you and others because we always doubt and mistrust the people around us of something good they could do.
And sad to say, the very people we doubt much about their own abilities and goodness are the ones closest to us like husband or wife, children, brother or sister, and friends!
What a tragedy indeed that we always refuse to appreciate our worth as your beloved children that lead us to see also the value of others around us, especially those who truly care and love us like our family and friends.
May we have the grace and courage to finally be reconciled with you in the Sacrament of Confession in one of these 40 days of Lent, that we may return to you in Jesus Christ with our “whole hearts, for you are gracious and merciful.”
Most of all, may we believe more in you, O God, so we also begin to believe in our selves, in our goodness and ability to change for the best. Amen.
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