Psalm Reflection: Fifth Sunday of Lent (Cycle A)

“With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” - Psalm 130

Everything we have is gift. Life is a gift. Every morning we wake up is a gift. Every breath in our lungs is a gift. Our family, our friendships, our jobs, education, talents, money, success, achievement: all of it is a gift. Every good and perfect gift comes from God, so the only thing you and I can claim ownership of is our sin; every other thing has been given to us by God. And because the only thing we own is our sin, we don’t deserve any of those gifts. Yet, God gives them to us anyway out of love. That is mercy. Jesus paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay, and despite our ingratitude or forgetfulness of that gift He still pours abundance into our lives every day. Let this Lent be a realization that there is a God, we are not Him, and everything He gives us is undeserved mercy. This week, thank God in prayer for the things you often forget, especially your gifts, talents, your health and your life. We are praying for you this week.

See you in the Eucharist.