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40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent, 23 March 2023 Exodus 32:7-14 >>> + <<< John 5:31-47
Forgive us, God our merciful Father for our forgetfulness and thanklessness; more than being forgetful, we are also ungrateful like the Israelites at Sinai. Many times in life, we rarely appreciate what we have, especially the little ones. How unfortunate we recognize only big things as important that we forget everything in life which is the sum of the littlest things put together - the single steps of every journey, the minute cells of our body, the little efforts put together by the little, ordinary people who give us our meals, our daily needs, the small acts of kindness like smiles, hi’s and hellos we don’t even mind at all; the little children who play or cry to remind us of our beginnings… So many other tiny, little things and moments, ordinary people we disregard that prevent us from remembering and thanking you and everyone for the many joys and comforts we enjoy in every moment.
Forgive us also, loving Father, of how we forget and hence could not appreciate to be grateful with the little gifts we have within like this life we have versus the great moments of victory and fame we choose to remember; the family and friends you surround us daily but take for granted as we prefer big people like the rich and famous; those little giftedness of ours like simplicity, sense of humor, even rich appetite to savor and enjoy ordinary food shared with common folks we forget and become thankless for our gifts of selves and uniqueness.
Bless us, dear God to remember and be reminded of the many gifts we have but unaware that make us thankless and forgetful, tempting us to create our own idols and golden calves to worship; open our eyes to see your works and majesty in Jesus who became like us in everything except sin so that we experience you more in flesh in us and one another; help us feel and enjoy life’s little joys and blessings so we may remember and never forget all good things come from you, often in little packages to be more appreciative and grateful. Amen.
