Daily Digest #264

He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. —1 John 2:2

Let me share to you a lenten prayer that was forwarded to me earlier (read below). May we be reminded of the real purpose of Holy Week.

O Lord, my God and Savior, Jesus Christ, I keep asking You to give me the grace of conversion. Day and night I hope for only one thing: that You show Your mercy to me and let me experience Your presence in my heart. Let me come to a genuine act of repentance, to an honest humble prayer, and to a free spontaneous generosity. I see so clearly the road to follow! I understand so well what is necessary for me to come to You. I can speak and teach eloquently about life in You. But my heart hesitates, my inner and deepest self still holds back, wanting to bargain, wanting to say "Yes, but....."

O Lord, do I keep forgetting that You love me, that You are waiting for me with open arms? As a Father with tears in His eyes, You see how Your son is destroying the very life You gave him. Yet as a Father You know, too, that You cannot force me to come back to You. Only when I freely come to You, when I freely shake off the false cares and troubles and freely confess my false ways and freely pray for mercy, only then can You freely give me Your love.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my plea, hear my desire to return to You. Do not leave me alone in my struggle. Save me from eternal damnation and show me the beauty of Your face. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen. -- "Lenten Prayers" (unpublished) by Fr. Henri J. M. Nouwen

You all have a great week ahead! Pray always.