Ash Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012

Every day of Lent this year, you will find one of the Readings of the day, a reflection on the reading, a prayer and a challenge so that you can journey through Lent in a more real way this year.
Read It:
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'"

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
Reflect on It: This is the first reading that we hear on Ash Wednesday. It kicks off Lent for us. It was chosen to be on this blog because it speaks to both our call during Lent and the goodness of the Lord.  Returning to the Lord with our whole heart is hard sometimes. There seems to be so much that weighs us down. What things are keeping us from returning to the Lord with our whole heart? I know that for me, fear is often paralyzing. I'm worried about what the Lord might ask me to do if I stop and listen. Perhaps that fear is what I need to work past to return to the Lord with my whole heart. Here, in this reading as well, we see the goodness of the Lord. We see that he's slow to anger and merciful. His mercy is prevalent during Lent. May we see that his anger is slow and his mercy all encompassing this Lent.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, I want to come back to you with my whole heart this Lent. Help me to journey with you and to be able to see the things that hinder my relationship with you. I love you! Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Today, identify one thing that you believes hinder your relationship with God and offer that as a sacrifice this Lent.