Many parishes will be having Penance Services in this latter half of Lent in preparation for celebrating Easter. This evening's Night Prayer is a personal review or inventory which I wrote and offer to people when they're not sure how to prepare to go to confession. Whether you plan to go to confession or not, Lent is an excellent time, a whole season, for each of us: to review and take an inventory of our lives; to discern where we need God's mercy; and to ask for the grace to live more fully the life to which Jesus call us...
- Do I love God? Do I worship God? Are there false gods (work,
money, position, prestige, superstition, possessions) by giving them
more attention than I give to God? Do I pray every day? Do I pray on Sundays with the Church community? Do I make an effort to grow in
faith and in knowledge of my Church and its teachings? Do I thank God for his
gifts to me? Am I careful not to use the
name of God and the name of Jesus carelessly? Do I respect the beliefs and worship of people of other faiths and support their right to practice their faith?
- Do I love others? At home?
At work? In my neighborhood? At school? Have I abused anyone - physically
or emotionally? Do I speak unkindly to
others - or about others? Do I give my
parents the respect they deserve? Am I a
good and faithful parent? Am I good to
my brothers and sisters? Am I faithful to my friends? Do I reach out generously to the poor? Do I
share my belongings with friends and family members? Do I try to care for the needs of others
before I take care of my own needs? Do
I invite other people into my group of friends?
Do I exclude other people from my circle of friends? Do I reach out to those who are lonely? Do I make a sincere effort to reconcile with
others, taking the lead even if I believe I’m not to blame?
- Am I a peacemaker? Am I a channel of peace in others' lives? Have I reconciled with any with whom I've been at odds? Do I forgive others as I would ask others to forgive me? Do I forgive others as God forgives me: fully, freely, with no strings attached?
- Am I careful not to make rash and harsh judgments about about others? Do I seek to understand before I disagree? Have I moved beyond caricatures and name-calling to a point where I disagree knowledgeably, respectfully and sincerely?
- Do I participate in activities that
threaten, harm or jeopardize the health or well-being or the life of
others? Do I recognize God as the Author of life in whose hands rest the end and beginning of every human life? Do I reverence life in all its
shapes and forms?
- Am I faithful to my Christian responsibilities as a citizen? Am I registered for and do I exerciser my right to vote? Am I an informed voter who studies the issues and votes my conscience? Do I seek out what wisdom, truth and justice is to be found in the political process?
- Have I stolen? Have I taken what does not belong to me? Have I taken anything I have not paid
for? Have I damaged what belongs to
others? Am I envious or jealous of what other people have? Am I greedy or selfish? Do I place too much importance on material
goods? Do I trust that God will provide
what I truly need? Have I been a faithful steward of God's creation? Do I respect and conserve the gift of natural resources?
- Do I tell the truth? Do I lie?
Am I honest with myself? Am I
honest with God? Am I honest with my
family? Am I honest with my employers?
with those with whom I do business? with
my teachers? with my classmates? with my friends? Am I fair in my dealings with others? Do I object to injustice when I see it and
work to remedy it? Do I cheat? Do I take credit for work that’s not mine? Do
I gossip about others? Do I contribute
to tearing down the reputations of other people? Do I forgive those who have hurt me? Do I ask forgiveness of those whom I have
hurt? Do I hold grudges or resentments?
- Have I taken care of and respected the
gift of my body? Have I abused my body
and my mind with drugs or alcohol? Have
I respected the gift of sexuality that God has given me? Have I respected the sexuality of other
persons? If married, have I been faithful to my spouse in thought, word and
deed? Have I taken advantage of another
person for my own pleasure? Do I take
part in entertainment, media, Internet sites, conversations or jokes of an
inappropriate nature?
- Have I been faithful to my conscience? Have I given in to the pressure of those
around me to things I know are wrong?
Have I encouraged others to participate in wrongdoing?
- Do I seek to do what is just, to love what is good, and to walk humbly with my God?
Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake
and watch over me while I sleep
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
Those are tough and probing questions up top, there! Tonight's song, I hope, will be a healing balm of mercy on our souls, a beautiful setting of Micah 6:8...
What Does the Lord Require by Eric Nelson
If a widget doesn't appear below, click here!
What
does the Lord require for praise and offering?
What sacrifice, desire,
or tribute bid you bring?
To do justice; love mercy;
and walk humbly
with your God.
Rulers of earth, give ear! Should you not justice know?
Will God your pleading hear, while crime and cruelty grow?
Then do
justice, love mercy,
and walk humbly with your God.
How shall our life
fulfill God’s law so high?
Let Christ endue our will with grace.
What
does the Lord require for praise and offering?
What sacrifice, desire,
or tribute bid you bring?
To do justice; love mercy;
and walk humbly
with your God.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please THINK before you write
and PRAY before you think!