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Praise and glory to you, O God Our Father, despite our sinfulness you continue to bless us! In this season of Lent teach us the true meaning of penance by getting into the root of our sinfulness, of being radical, shamefaced in fact like Daniel by wholeheartedly admitting our wickedness in rebelling and departing from your side, Lord:
“Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name ton our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced ever to this day like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you.
Daniel 9:4-7, 8
Indeed, we are shamefaced, O Lord, even to this day for our many sins against you when we neglected you in our brothers and sisters in need, unmindful of their great sufferings not only for their physical needs but most especially for their emotional and spiritual needs; we are shamefaced, O Lord in thinking the good times would never end, when we lived in excesses, bloating our egos as if we were gods.
Help us to return to you, O God through Jesus Christ your Son by turning our hearts back to you, by going into the very roots of our sins so that when we have understood our sins, we may no longer fall into its traps as we get closer to you, becoming holy and merciful like you. Amen.
