I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to raise my face to you, my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven." (Ezra 9:5 NABRE)
This communal confession of sin is attributed to Ezra who probably lived about 400 years before Jesus.
It is of a type that was characteristic of the Second Temple period* (538 BCE to 70 CE) toward the end of which Jesus lived among us.* Early on in this period, referred to as the Restoration, Ezra, with Nehemiah, was largely responsible for the reorganization of Jewish life after the Babylonian exile.*
The history is interesting, but the passion of Ezra's confession is striking.
Today, as Pope Francis meets with President Obama and as he canonizes Junípero Serra, we do well to reflect on our own hearts, as Ezra did, on behalf of our people. Ezra felt deeply his shortcomings and turned to the Lord in humility and gratitude for his great mercy. Let us acknowledge our shortcomings and sinfulness today. Let us turn to Jesus himself and ask him for his mercy.
Today, I will pray for Pope Francis, for the Church in our country, and for the United States itself, that God may continue to hear our prayers and bless us with his mercy.
Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcini, who tells us that "the life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self," pray for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment