We should always give you thanks, almighty and eternal God,
for you do not cease to spur us on to possess a more abundant life
and, being rich in mercy, you constantly offer pardon,
and call on sinners to trust in your forgiveness alone.

Never did you turn away from us
and, though time and again we have broken your covenant,
you have bound the human family to yourself through Jesus your Son, our Redeemer,
with a new bond of love so tight that it can never be undone.

Even now you set before your people a time of grace and reconciliation,
and as they turn back to you in spirit, you grant them hope in Christ Jesus
and a desire to be of service to all, while they entrust themselves more fully to the Holy Spirit.
And so, filled with wonder, we extol the power of your love,
and, proclaiming our joy at the salvation that comes from you,
we join in the heavenly hymn of countless hosts…

(adapted from the Eucharistic Prayer of Reconciliation – Preface 1)

What words or phrases in this reading catch your attention and draw you in? Pray with them.
What words or phrases challenge you? Pray with them.
Ask God’s Spirit to give you light to know how you are being called to enter into this “time of grace and reconciliation.”
 Open your heart to receive the gifts that God has waiting for you this season of Lent, 2017.