Lenten Reflection Day 5 ~ Monday First Week of Lent

Opening Prayers:

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Confiteor (see Day 1).

Scripture Reading (Psalm 6 – First Penitential Psalm, verses 2-5, 7):

“O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy indignation, nor chastise me in Thy wrath. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but Thou, O Lord, how long? Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for Thy mercy’s sake… I am wearied with my groaning; every night I will wash my bed with tears.”

Reflection:

Today we pray with Psalm 6, one of the classic Seven Penitential Psalms that the Church traditionally recommends during Lent. In this heartfelt prayer, the psalmist (King David) pours out sorrow for sin and pleads for God’s healing mercy. “Heal me, O Lord, for I am weak,” he prays. We can all relate to that—sin has made us spiritually weak, “sick” in soul as we reflected earlier, and we need God’s remedy. David’s vivid image of weeping all night on his bed reminds us that true repentance often involves tears or at least deep feelings of regret and humility. As we enter the first full week of Lent, we ask God to soften our hearts so that we too may “weep” spiritually for our sins, detesting them out of love for God and a desire to be closer to Him.

Notice David appeals to God’s mercy, not his own merit: “Save me for Thy mercy’s sake.” In Hebrew, the word for mercy used in this psalm is hesed, meaning God’s steadfast love or covenant love. This is a beautiful reminder that our hope in forgiveness rests on who God is – a loving, faithful Father – rather than on who we are. We do not have to earn His forgiveness (indeed we cannot); we need only turn toward Him and ask, as a child runs to a loving parent. In fact, God’s indignation and wrath mentioned in the psalm are simply His just response to sin, which harms us and others. But when we repent, we move out from under that wrath and back into His embrace. “He will not always chide, nor keep His anger forever” says another psalm, “as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” (Psalm 102[103]:9,13).

It’s important to realize that contrition (sorrow for sin) is a grace. If you find that you don’t feel very sorry or cannot cry for your sins, don’t be discouraged; ask God for this gift. Saints often prayed for the “gift of tears” – meaning a heartfelt compunction for sin. You might pray, “Lord, help me to see my sins as You see them, so that I may genuinely regret them and seek to change.” God will answer that humble prayer, sometimes by allowing us to see the consequences of our sins more clearly, or by a gentle interior illumination that brings us to our knees. St. Ignatius of Loyola once said even one tear shed for one’s sins is of greater value than many penances performed without interior sorrow. The external penances (like fasting) are meant to foster this interior spirit, not replace it. King David’s example shows a balance: he both feels deep sorrow (weeping all night) and chooses concrete penance (likely donning sackcloth, lying on the ground, etc., as was the custom). We too integrate emotion and will: contrition in the heart and acts of penance with the body.

Today’s psalm also touches on a reality that sometimes afflicts penitents: a feeling of spiritual desolation or the fear that God might abandon us – “my soul is troubled exceedingly: but Thou, O Lord, how long?”. When we begin to turn back to God, the memory of our sins or the consequences we must face might tempt us to discouragement. We might wonder, “Can God really forgive me? Will this guilt ever leave?” David felt that anxiety: “O Lord, how long (before You deliver me)?” His answer was to persevere in calling on God: “Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul.” He clung to God’s mercy even when he did not yet feel the joy of forgiveness. Eventually, the psalm ends (in verses 9-10) on a note of confidence that the Lord has heard his weeping and will receive his prayer. This shows us that God does not despise our tears or our groans; He hears and will act in His time. If you are struggling with guilt or an emotional heaviness in penance, don’t give up. Keep praying, keep trusting. The dawn follows the dark night of tears. As Psalm 29 says, “Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

In practical terms, consider making the Penitential Psalms part of your Lenten prayer. Many find it fruitful to pray one of these psalms each day of the week. Psalm 6 (today’s focus) could be Monday’s prayer. You can pray it slowly, attentively, perhaps on your knees, making its words your own. The Douay-Rheims footnote on Psalm 6 mentions that St. Augustine interpreted the phrase “O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy indignation” as a plea that God correct us mercifully in this life, rather than leaving us to be punished in the next. This is a wise perspective: if God rebukes or chastises us now (through our conscience, through trials, or even Church discipline), it is actually a sign of His love, trying to save us from eternal loss. “For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth” (Hebrews 12:6). So we can even be thankful that we feel sorrow or shame for sin – that very pain is remedial. The worst plight would be a hardened heart that feels no remorse; that is like spiritual leprosy. Thus, if your heart is somewhat broken right now, thank God – a broken heart is open, whereas a hard heart is closed. “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 50:19).

Also, when praying Psalm 6, note how David asks for healing: “Heal me, O Lord, for I am weak.” The Latin Vulgate uses “saname Domine, quoniam conturbata sunt ossa mea” – literally “heal me, Lord, for my bones are troubled.” In a spiritual sense, our “bones” (the inner supports of our soul) – meaning our virtues or good habits – may be shaken by sin. We need God to set them right, like a divine chiropractor aligning a spine. “Make straight my paths, Lord.” He often does this through concrete actions of penance and disciplines of virtue. If you lied often, part of your healing is to practice radical honesty and humility. If you were intemperate, healing involves measured moderation. While only God’s grace can truly restore us, He invites our cooperation in the rehabilitation therapy, so to speak, of practicing the opposite virtues of our sins. Think of one weakness (say, impatience) and plan one small way to practice the counter virtue (patience – e.g., waiting calmly when irritated, as a specific exercise). Offer that practice to God as part of your healing.

Today, Monday of the First Week, is a good moment to perhaps intensify a little of your Lenten practices after the weekend. The initial zeal of Ash Wednesday might have waned; now we settle into the “long haul” of Lent. This is where determination and God’s grace carry us forward. If you have slipped in your penances or devotions, simply restart today. “Heal me, Lord, for I am weak,” we pray – yes, we are weak, but He is strong. Rely on Him, not yourself. An encouraging thought from St. Philip Neri: “In the warfare of Christian life, he who trusts in himself is lost; he who trusts in God can do all things.” This echoes St. Paul: “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

So let our Lenten renewal be done “for God’s mercy’s sake” – that is, as a response to His merciful love. We fast and pray not out of mere duty or fear, but because we have hope in God’s love and desire to please Him. Pope St. Leo taught in a Lenten homily that we should “accept the Lord’s correction with rejoicing,” because it means God is treating us as children, intent on our salvation. Lent’s penances, then, are like a bitter but effective medicine prescribed by the Doctor. We take them with gratitude, looking forward to Easter’s spiritual health.

If tears come in prayer today, let them flow. If not, let the desire for true contrition suffice. End your prayer time perhaps by imagining Jesus on the Cross and saying those simple words: “Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. Jesus, heal me, for I am weak.” This little aspiration repeated throughout the day can keep us grounded in humility and trust. The “Jesus Prayer” in the Eastern Catholic tradition is similar: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Many pray it softly with their breathing, making each moment of the day a heartbeat of repentance and love.

Closing Prayers:

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

V: Let us bless the Lord.

R: Thanks be to God.

V: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R: Amen.