Our Church has entered the liturgical season of Lent. Lent means "spring" in old English. It is the time for our "spiritual spring cleaning". It is a preparation for the passion, death and resurrection of Christ on Easter.
Yesterday evening we attended the first Way of the Cross of Lent and Mass. The responsorial Psalm (Psalm 50) summed the spirit of Lent.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness,
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
My offence truly I know them,
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
but offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
What our merciful Father God wants is a contrite heart. All the fasting, penance, prayer and sacrifices shall lead us to the conversion of heart.
“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.”
Trusting in you God that a humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
我们的教会已经进入了礼仪四旬期-四十天的祈祷，守斋和善行的时期。这是一个为我们身心准备耶稣的苦难 、钉死在十字架上及他的复活的到来。
昨天我们参加了四旬期的第一次拜苦路及弥撒。弥撒中的答唱咏（圣咏50）道出了四旬期的精神。
天主，求你按照你的仁慈怜悯我，
依你丰厚的慈爱，消灭我的罪恶。
求你把我的过犯洗尽，
求你把我的罪恶除净。
因为我认清了我的过犯，
我的罪恶常在我眼前。
我得罪了你，惟独得罪了你，
因为我做了你视为恶的事。
因为你既然不喜悦祭献，
我献全燔祭，你也不喜欢。
天主，我的祭献就是这痛悔的精神，
天主，你不轻看痛悔和谦卑的赤心。
是的，仁慈的天主要的是 我们的一颗痛悔和谦卑的赤诚之心。四旬期里我们所有的祈祷，守斋和善行，就是要使到我们的皈依成功。
“你们要回头改过，信从福音。”
相信仁慈的天主，他不会轻看一颗痛悔和谦卑的赤诚之心。
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