Day 6 ~ Tuesday First Week of Lent

Opening Prayers:

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

Scripture Reading (Isaiah 1:16–18):

“Wash yourselves, be clean: take away the evil of your devices from My eyes. Cease to do perversely, learn to do well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then come and accuse Me, saith the Lord: If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool.”

Reflection:

The Lenten call to conversion is beautifully expressed in this prophetic invitation: “Cease to do evil, learn to do well.” God calls not only for us to stop sinning, but to begin living virtuously and actively pursuing justice and mercy. It is a call both to interior purification and to outward charity.

Through the words of Isaiah, we hear God urging His people to abandon hypocrisy and return to heartfelt worship and ethical living. “Relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow”, these concrete works of mercy reveal whether our penance is sincere. Lent is not only about fasting from food, but also about fasting from indifference and hardness of heart.

The promise of forgiveness in this passage is astounding. Though our sins be “as scarlet” and “red as crimson”, deep and glaring, God can make them “white as snow.” His mercy is not timid or partial; it is transformative and total. No matter how far we have fallen, no matter how shameful our past, God can purify our souls if we repent sincerely.

We must cooperate with His grace. That begins by acknowledging our sin without excuse, and approaching Confession with confidence in His love. But it continues with a resolve to “learn to do well” to reform our habits, act justly, and love more generously. Lent is a school of virtue.

Is there someone in your life in need of comfort, protection, or help—perhaps an “orphan” or “widow” in the figurative sense? Offer a small act of kindness today for their sake. It may be the fruit God asks of your Lenten penance.

Make a resolution for today to pray for the grace to both reject sin and to practice virtue. Choose one concrete way to “learn to do well” today, such as helping someone in need, speaking charitably, or refraining from a critical word.

Saintly Insight:

“God is quick to forgive, but He requires that we change our ways. Do not despair if your garments are stained, for the divine laundry is full of grace.” ~ St. Jerome

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.