From the Desk of Rev. Jerry:
Lent begins today. In lent we start at looking at our weakness, our failings, our sins. We are marked on Ash Wednesday with ashes, the ancient sign of repentance.
We ask forgiveness and healing. Recognizing our sin we look to our Father who is merciful. On the fourth Sunday of Lent we will hear the story of the Prodigal Son who returns to his Father and is received back with mercy and great love. On the fifth Sunday we hear of Jesus and the woman who is caught in adultery.
He says to her simply, “Go and sin no more.” Then we hear the story of the event which is the source of the Father’s mercy to us. We read the great love story of Jesus giving his life for our sins. We are assured of this when we gather and hear, “This is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” We experience that mercy when we meet the risen Jesus, see the wounds caused by o ur sins and see them transformed into new life.
On Ash Wednesday the phrase used as we impose the ashes will be, “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned”.
Courtesy Rev. Gerald Brittain
Photo courtesy Steve Kissinger