24 February 2009

A Lenten Prayer

Merciful and loving God, you give us* this Lenten desert for our purification, for our chance to become your faithful friends.

Because we are wearied by our sins and exhausted by the weight of our guilt, the devil seeks to tempt us further away from you.

Let us hear his false promises with your ears and see his counterfeit prizes through your eyes. With your Word in our mouths, we reject his poisonous gifts and run to you for our salvation.

With our every thought and deed, you give us the grace to turn temptation into witness, to make an enemy of the devil, and grow in your love.

Lord, grant us hearts bound in obedience to your Word and freed in your love. And even though we may suffer for a little while, we know our purpose is fulfilled when we offer you thanks and praise for the gift of your Son.

Purged of sin and guilt by your desert, we walk to his death on the cross; we watch for his resurrection from the tomb; and we await his coming again in glory!

In his holy name we pray. Amen.

(written by Fr. Philip N. Powell, OP)

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*Change the plural pronouns to singular for a more personal prayer.

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4 comments:

  1. did you write this or is it published somewhere? it's very nice.

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  2. I wrote it...maybe I should "sign" it.

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  3. I love it.

    But when you say: "*Change the third person pronouns to first person for a more personal prayer."

    Don't you mean change the plural pronouns to singular? "Us" already is in the first person.

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  4. Mike,

    Of course...I knew that was wrong when I typed it...and I've been an English teacher for a hundred years!

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