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Reflection and Invitation: Friday's Daily Office Reading: Ezek. 18:1-4,25-32
In the quietude of our hearts, during the contemplative season of Lent, we are invited to draw near to the essence of reconciliation, as echoed in the profound words of the Prophet Ezekiel. In the spirit of Henri Nouwen, whose writings tenderly touch the soul, let us reflect on the nature of our journey towards God's boundless mercy and grace.
Ezekiel speaks to us of a God who is deeply invested in the life of every individual, asserting that every soul belongs to Him - both parent and child. This passage dismantles the age-old proverb of inherited sin, suggesting instead a God of personal relationships and individual accountability. "It is only the person who sins that shall die," declares the Lord, inviting us into a personal reckoning with our own actions and their consequences.
Henri Nouwen, with his characteristic gentleness, would perhaps see in these words not a threat but an invitation. An invitation to acknowledge our brokenness, to face our transgressions not with fear but with the hope of transformation. The passage from Ezekiel challenges the complaint of unfairness often directed at God's ways, reminding us that it is in our power to turn away from wrongdoing and embrace a life of righteousness.
In the spirit of Nouwen's understanding of the compassionate heart of God, let us see this Lenten season as a time to deeply consider our own paths. It is a time to question, not God's fairness, but our own adherence to His ways. Are we, perhaps, holding onto old proverbs that justify our actions, or are we willing to cast them aside and take responsibility for our own lives?
God's call to "get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" is at the core of the Rite of Reconciliation. It is a call to not only turn away from sin but to actively turn towards God, to embrace a new way of being that is aligned with His love and justice. This Lent, let us respond to this call with open hearts, willing to cast away the transgressions that have distanced us from God and from one another.
As your priest, I extend an invitation to each of you to experience the grace of confession and absolution. In the safety of God's love, we can acknowledge our frailties and failures, secure in the knowledge that transformation is always possible. Together, let us approach the throne of grace, not with fear, but with the hopeful anticipation of receiving a new heart and a new spirit.
This Lent, may we all find the courage to turn and live, embracing the life-giving repentance to which God calls us. Let us remember that in the heart of God, there is no pleasure in the death of anyone. He desires for us to live, fully and freely, in His love. Come, let us turn and live anew.
In faith and love,
Mo. Allison+
14. A Song of Penitence
Kyrie Pantokrator
Prayer of Manasseh 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15
O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, *
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:
You made the heavens and the earth, *
with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence; *
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord, you are full of compassion, *
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand; *
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *
and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you: *
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin, *
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, *
and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy, *
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, *
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.
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