Monday Morning Offering - 88

Coffee in the Morning by George Mendoza

Keeping a Holy Lent - 17

Good morning, good God!

In the spirit of this holy season, Lord,
I offer you a contrite heart...

I do not understand the mystery of your mercy, Lord:
that you love me even in my sins;
that you never fail to see the good in me;
that you always see what is to be loved in me;
that you never cease to reach out, gently,
to rescue me from my selfish ways,
to bring me home to the embrace of your arms,
to mend what is broken in me,
to heal what is sick,
to forgive what is sinful...

I do not understand, Lord,
but I am ever grateful for
the mysterious mercy you never fail to offer me:
and so this morning,
I offer you my contrite heart...

So great is your love, Lord, for each of us;
so exquisite the delight you take in us;
so taken are you with the ways we image
who you are, our Creator -
even when we forget, tarnish or deny
your beauty with us...

I return to you, Lord,
with a heart I try to keep from you
when I've marred your beauty
mirrored in my soul:
and so I offer you my contrite heart...

I lose sight of your goodness within me
and I fear that you see only what I see -
my brokenness -
and so I offer you my contrite heart...

I forget that you come to meet me
precisely in the places where I am rough-edged,
that you might smooth me;
where I am broken,
that you might mend me;
where I am weak,
that you might strengthen me;
where I am sick,
that you might heal me;
where I have sinned,
that you might forgive me...

And so I offer you my contrite heart...

And sometimes, Lord, I see in others
only their rough and broken edges
and I miss their goodness
through which your beauty shines
and so I offer you my contrite heart...

Forgive my sins, Lord,
and receive what is good within me:
be gentle in receiving the heart I offer you
for I offer you a broken and contrite heart...

Help me to forgive those who have hurt me, Lord,
and to see what is good within them,
to see what you love in them:
let me be gentle in receiving them
into my contrite heart...

Help me to trust in the mystery of your mercy, Lord,
in the mystery of your merciful and sacred heart...

I offer you my contrite heart, my God,
this morning, this day, this night
and in the week ahead...

A broken and contrite heart, O Lord,
you will not spurn...

Amen.

(You might want to pray Psalm 51
after praying this Monday Morning Offering...)
Lent2010

Lent2010