Last Sunday we read about the publican and the Pharisee. This then starts our preparation towards Holy and Great Lent. The Gospel leads us to reflect on one aspect, often said but often not quite followed: humility. Often we are told to be humble. Often though, we fail to do so. Our world today calls us instead to brag on about what we've accomplished, on what we've done. But there is more to that than simply not telling what we've done--it is about obedience. It is about confronting ourselves and seeing ourselves as who we are--that we are sinners in need of Christ's love and forgiveness. So the Church reminds us of this, that as we go towards Lent, we must again go back and realize that we are sinners.
We are often reminded of this in our prayers. In Liturgy we say often, "Lord, have mercy". And again: O God be gracious to me a sinner and have mercy one me. And how often we are reminded of The Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Yet, do we reflect on these things? It is worthwhile to reflect on them, if we have not done so yet. For here we see something--a need for mercy, for forgiveness. We strive, and yet we fail. And yet there is hope--for in The Prayer, we appeal to our Lord to have mercy on us. And He shows us this mercy, if we really seek for it. He shows us that we are not hopeless, because He is always there waiting for us. So we must pray as often as we should, asking His mercy, and then doing His will, which is to live in Him, for then by doing so we then show that we are His. We must strive, to carry on, towards that perfection which the Lord calls us to do, and in the end He will reward us for our tears and our struggles.
We are often reminded of this in our prayers. In Liturgy we say often, "Lord, have mercy". And again: O God be gracious to me a sinner and have mercy one me. And how often we are reminded of The Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Yet, do we reflect on these things? It is worthwhile to reflect on them, if we have not done so yet. For here we see something--a need for mercy, for forgiveness. We strive, and yet we fail. And yet there is hope--for in The Prayer, we appeal to our Lord to have mercy on us. And He shows us this mercy, if we really seek for it. He shows us that we are not hopeless, because He is always there waiting for us. So we must pray as often as we should, asking His mercy, and then doing His will, which is to live in Him, for then by doing so we then show that we are His. We must strive, to carry on, towards that perfection which the Lord calls us to do, and in the end He will reward us for our tears and our struggles.
