Since we are in the Fourth Week of Lent, we are already a little more than halfway through the season. As we get closer and closer to Easter, here’s hoping we are moving ourselves closer and closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Readings at our recent Masses recount wonderful life-changing healings, both physical and spiritual, that Jesus accomplished.
We are offered great hope and encouragement. So let us use our words to pray:
HALFWAY THERE
Heal us, O Lord, of our physical and moral shortcomings
As we give you all of our fears and hesitations to disprove.
Lead us to gentle understanding and faith in your teachings.
Free us from doubts and remove any mistakes and misconceptions.
We invite your Holy Spirit to teach and inspire us so that we can spread your truth.
As we strive to repent of our sins, help us to center ourselves on loving actions.
You are our Redeemer, and we are so grateful for your selfless love.
Teach us to look deeper, pray harder, and be more patient.
Help us to make pure love of others contagious and long-lasting.
Enter into our lives in new and surprising ways.
Render us always receptive to your life-giving challenges.
Eternal Savior, you are truly our Good Shepherd, and we trust you completely.
Amen.
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Painting: The Temptation of Christ by Ary Scheffler (1854). Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, England. Public domain.
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, Connecticut. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.
The gospel verse is from The New American Bible, New York: Oxford University Press, 1990