40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent, 05 March 2024
Daniel 3:25, 34-43 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 18:21-35
In this season of Lent,
teach us, Lord, to be
consistent in our contrition;
let us realize that true
contrition for our sins is
not only when we have cried,
nor when we have beaten
our breasts with mea culpa,
mea culpa, mea maxima culpa,
nor when we say sorry to
everyone we have sinned.
Being sorry for our sins
before you, God our Father,
is being consistent -
when our contrition leads us
to change our evil ways
and most of all, when we
become consistent in our
prayer and lives
that we stop with our
sins and evil ways.
Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud: “For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; as though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be inn your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
Daniel 3:25, 37, 39
Most of all,
O God,
to be contrite for our sins
is being consistent also
in being forgiving
with our fellow sinners;
every day, we call you
God "Our Father",
asking you to forgive us
our sins as we forgive
those who sin against us
but so often,
we just say these words
without really acting on them,
fulfilling them by forgiving
our fellow sinners;
to be sorry for our own sins
is to see also the pure
heart of another sinner
asking for forgiveness
of sins.
To be contrite
is to be consistent
in forgiving others
from one's heart
because a truly contrite heart
sees and feels
a fellow contrite heart too!
Amen.
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