40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday in the Second Week of Lent, 06 March 2023
Daniel 9:4-10   >< +++ >< +++ ><   Luke 6:36-38

O God, on this first
working day in the second week
of Lent, I imitate Daniel's prayer
and confession of sins in the first 
reading:

“We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants… we are shamefaced even to this day.”

Daniel 9:5-6, 7

It has been a long time,
dear Father, when I have been
bold and true enough to admit,
to confess before you that indeed,
I have SINNED, been WICKED...
I have REBELLED and DEPARTED
from your commandments...
I have NOT OBEYED...
and now SHAMEFACED.
Dear God,
for so long, I have followed
the trend of this world,
of this life,
of "diluting" my sinfulness and
culpability, of always looking for
somebody else or something to blame
for my sins and evil deed, of moving
the lines of morality so as to feel 
less guilty, less sinful, not really bad
when in fact, it is when we are most evil,
when I am so far from you
and shamefaced.

God, help me recover
this being shamefaced;
help us all for we have no more
shame at all that we cover up
our sins and evil; worst, O Lord,
our lack of shame for our sins
prevent us to a large degree
in being merciful like you
and tragically pushes us to
being so judgmental of others
sinfulness.

This Lent, O God,
let us recover our sense
of shame; let us be shamefaced
in Jesus Christ your Son.
Amen.