By John Merigian
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now let us argue it out says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like Crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 1:16-20
For all of us, the beginning of Lent is a time to remember that we are sinners in need of a Savior. It is time to start a new journey with Christ or renew the journey we have already begun. For we all have sinned, we must acknowledge that to God, and start our journey with a contrite heart.
The first two weeks of Church readings focus primarily on this theme. While we will focus on this as our primary concern for the first phase of Lent, we will transition to more reflections on the greatness of God’s love for us and His demonstration of mercy. Today, let us prepare to embark on this journey of faith.
Let us pray with St. Gregory:
The voice of a sighing heart,
I offer up to you, O Seer of Secrets.
May this unsolicited gift reach you, this sacrifice of words
from the deep mystery-filled chamber of my feelings,
fueled by whatever grace I may have within me.
Let these words be acceptable
as were the fragrant offerings in the Tabernacle at Shiloh
raised by David on his return from captivity
as the resting place for the ark of the covenant,
a symbol for the restoration of my lost soul.
Only you can work the miracle to make life possible
for a soul so imperiled by doubt, O Atoner for all,
exalted beyond saying in your boundless glory
on high forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer 1 A, B
