40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent, 05 March 2024 Daniel 3:25, 34-43 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 18:21-35
In this season of Lent, teach us, Lord, to be consistent in our contrition; let us realize that true contrition for our sins is not only when we have cried, nor when we have beaten our breasts with mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, nor when we say sorry to everyone we have sinned.
Being sorry for our sins before you, God our Father, is being consistent - when our contrition leads us to change our evil ways and most of all, when we become consistent in our prayer and lives that we stop with our sins and evil ways.
Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud: “For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; as though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be inn your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
Daniel 3:25, 37, 39
Most of all, O God, to be contrite for our sins is being consistent also in being forgiving with our fellow sinners; every day, we call you God "Our Father", asking you to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us but so often, we just say these words without really acting on them, fulfilling them by forgiving our fellow sinners; to be sorry for our own sins is to see also the pure heart of another sinner asking for forgiveness of sins. To be contrite is to be consistent in forgiving others from one's heart because a truly contrite heart sees and feels a fellow contrite heart too! Amen.
