Prayer for the Week:
When my spirit is troubled,
When my spirit aches
because I have injured another,
When my spirit feels
the weight of shame and regret,
It is time for me to turn to you,
Gracious God.
Feelings of contrition,
yearning for confession,
accepting responsibility
do not always come easy.
Recognizing of failure
and acknowledging sinfulness,
whether those are sins
of commission or omission,
are essential practices of the faith
if repentance and reconciliation
are going to be realized.
Let me know of your mercy,
O Lord revealed in the Incarnation.
Let me be embraced
by your forgiving Spirit,
and in that cradle of absolution,
may I hear again your expectation
to seek pardon and healing
where the repercussions
of my decisions have caused injury.
Assist me, O God,
as I do what I can do to bring healing.
And when injured parties
are not ready to forgive me,
I pray for understanding and patience.
I make these requests
because I am far from perfect,
though I do not wish
to allow such imperfections
to become my excuse.
Amen.
