Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths...
be still... and know that God is near...
A word to reflect on:
Remember no more the sins of my youth;
remember me only in light of your love...
- Psalm25
Sometimes I just can't let go of them, Lord - my sins...
They cling to me and I to them:
I hold close my shame and guilt,
the memories of my foolish screw-ups,
my faults and failings, great and small...
Sometimes I can't separate myself from what I've done
or from what I failed to do...
It seems as if I own my sins
- or perhaps my sins own me...
I've asked for your mercy, I've been forgiven and absolved.
I've done my penance but still can't shake the sins of my past
from my mind and my heart...
Why do I keep remembering, Lord, what your mercy has forgotten?
Why do I hold fast to what you long ago removed?
Why do cling to what you've washed away with grace?
Why do I so harshly judge the heart your pardon has set free?
Why is it so hard for me to forgive myself
for what you have already forgiven me?
Remember no more the sins of my youth, Lord:
remember me only in light of your love...
I believe, I want to trust, Lord,
that you do not remember the sins of my youth
but I need your help that I might let go
what haunts me and keeps me from your peace,
what deprives me of the joy your mercy offers...
Help me trust, Lord, that while you don't delight in my sins,
Remember no more the sins of my youth;
remember me only in light of your love...
- Psalm25
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)
Sometimes I just can't let go of them, Lord - my sins...
They cling to me and I to them:
I hold close my shame and guilt,
the memories of my foolish screw-ups,
my faults and failings, great and small...
Sometimes I can't separate myself from what I've done
or from what I failed to do...
It seems as if I own my sins
- or perhaps my sins own me...
I've asked for your mercy, I've been forgiven and absolved.
I've done my penance but still can't shake the sins of my past
from my mind and my heart...
Why do I keep remembering, Lord, what your mercy has forgotten?
Why do I hold fast to what you long ago removed?
Why do cling to what you've washed away with grace?
Why do I so harshly judge the heart your pardon has set free?
Why is it so hard for me to forgive myself
for what you have already forgiven me?
Remember no more the sins of my youth, Lord:
remember me only in light of your love...
I believe, I want to trust, Lord,
that you do not remember the sins of my youth
but I need your help that I might let go
what haunts me and keeps me from your peace,
what deprives me of the joy your mercy offers...
Help me trust, Lord, that while you don't delight in my sins,
you rejoice in my return to you in grace and welcome me
as the father welcomed his prodigal child,
as the shepherd took joy in finding his one, wandering sheep...
Teach my mind to know and my heart to trust
that even before I sin, even while I'm sinning,
you are ready with your mercy to seek me out,
to bring me back, to reconcile me with your grace
and restore my soul in peace...
Remember no more the sins of my youth, Lord:
remember me only in light of your love...
Remember no more the sins of my youth, Lord:
remember me only in light of your love...
Help me trust, Lord, that you look upon me always
in the light of your love,
that even when I turn from your light in shame
it shines upon me, sinner or saint, with promise of healing,
to help me see the wrong I've done and the path
that leads me home to you...
Help me, Lord, forgive myself
as you have forgiven me.
Help me pardon myself
as you have pardoned me.
Help me forget the sins of my past
as you have forgotten and freed me of their burden...
Help me, Lord, forgive myself
as you have forgiven me.
Help me pardon myself
as you have pardoned me.
Help me forget the sins of my past
as you have forgotten and freed me of their burden...
In the quiet of my prayer, Lord,
turn my eyes from the sins of my past to see your gift of peace,
the grace that calls me back and the joy your mercy promises...
In the stillness, Lord,
bathe me in the light of your love,
the only light in which you see me
and in that light help me see you
and the welcome in your eyes...
Remember no more the sins of my youth, Lord:
remember me only in light of your love...
No matter how far I once strayed from you, Lord,
you never abandoned me, you never left my side:
let my haunted heart be still in the light of your grace
and help me know and trust that you are near, that you are here,
that you are, indeed, my Savior and my God...
No matter how far I once strayed from you, Lord,
you never abandoned me, you never left my side:
let my haunted heart be still in the light of your grace
and help me know and trust that you are near, that you are here,
that you are, indeed, my Savior and my God...
To ponder and pray over...
Is my walk of faith burdened by sins from my past?Am I haunted by failures I know God has forgiven?
Are there sins I need to bring to the sacrament of penance?
Will I lift my eyes to the light of God's love shining on me always?
shining on me today?
What will I ask of the Lord today?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
(After you spend some time with these questions,
pray the reflection above one more time...)
Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day. If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others. You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.
Tweet
Subscribe to A Concord Pastor Comments
Reading this poem really made my day. I'm book marking it. Sometimes, I just don't want to forgive myself. I like to hold on to the guilt. Thanks. I should read this poem every day.
ReplyDelete