God of our present, our past, and future, too,
be here among us as we begin this time together.
Quiet those places in us that are anxious,
soothe those that are weary, and rouse us
from those places where we’ve grown complacent.
See us as we long to be and help us
to bridge the gap between our actions
and our intentions just a little more this Lent.
Teach us to revel in the faith of your sustaining presence
and give us the grace to see ourselves
and one another with the eyes
of your compassionate love. Amen.
Excerpted from Lenten Longings – Year C: Seeing With God’s Eyes, available from RENEW International.