The First Step

Be merciful, O Lord for we have sinned.

It’s humbling to ask forgiveness. When sincere, you come to that moment only through a heart broken over the pain you have caused another. From that deep place, you truly acknowledge your sin but also come to know God’s love and the many sweet graces that await you.

On Ash Wednesday, we begin an unfolding. This is not always an easy process. In doing so, we expose the hardened places in our hearts along with those that are tender.

Today is the first step.

In a quiet moment, ask for God’s mercy.

There is nothing for which you cannot be forgiven.

Trust that He will comfort your sorrow and tend to your needs.

The first step is yours . . . He is waiting.

Be merciful, O Lord for we have sinned. 

**A Note

When I was a kid, the Responsorial Psalm at Mass always felt like a kind of time out. It was the nice singing part between the readings and before the Gospel and homily. I must admit, in the years since, I've focused on writing reflections for the Gospels and done research to explain historical and archaeological details of both Old and New Testament readings. Yet I still seem to overlook the poetic beauty of the Psalms. For this reason, the inspiration for some of the blogs this Lent will come from the response to the daily Psalm in the Lectionary.