Photos of the mural of Christ in Majesty, in the Catholic Church of St Dunstan, in Keynsham, near Bristol, England.
Hear us, almighty Lord, show us your mercy,
sinners, we stand here before you.
Ash Wednesday is over. Will we now relax and forget all our good Lenten intentions until we are forced to face them again on Good Friday when it is too late? Will this Lent be once again another wasted penitential season?
Let us try to commit ourselves to do at least one thing every day this Lent to discipline our hearts, minds and spirits, and to accompany Our Lord on the long journey of his Passion. May we reach Easter with some little gift in our hands to joyfully offer the risen Lord! May we have truly fasted from ourselves, and for Jesus, this Lent!
Let us try to commit ourselves to do at least one thing every day this Lent to discipline our hearts, minds and spirits, and to accompany Our Lord on the long journey of his Passion. May we reach Easter with some little gift in our hands to joyfully offer the risen Lord! May we have truly fasted from ourselves, and for Jesus, this Lent!
Fasting is a very important ascetical practice, a spiritual weapon to do battle against every possible disordered attachment to ourselves. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps us to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact upon our whole personality.
An ancient hymn of the Lenten liturgy exhorts: – Let us use sparingly words, food and drink, sleep and amusements. May we be more alert in the custody of our senses.”
-----------------------------------------
Hear us, almighty Lord,
show us your mercy,
sinners we stand here before you.
Word of the Father, keystone of God's building,
source of our gladness,
gateway to the Kingdom, free us in mercy,
gateway to the Kingdom, free us in mercy,
from the sins that bind us.
God of compassion, Lord of might and splendor,
graciously listen, hear our cries of anguish,
God of compassion, Lord of might and splendor,
graciously listen, hear our cries of anguish,
touch us and heal us where our sins have wounded.
Humbly confessing that we have offended,
Humbly confessing that we have offended,
stripped of illusions, naked in our sorrow,
pardon, Lord Jesus, those your blood has ransomed.
Innocent captive, you were led to slaughter,
Innocent captive, you were led to slaughter,
sentenced by sinners when they brought false witness.
Keep from damnation those your death has rescued.
Latin (10th C.), tr Ralph Wright, OSB
-----------------------------------------
Latin (10th C.), tr Ralph Wright, OSB
-----------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment