Lent 35

Welcome to Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, the final week of Lent. There is a church tradition that honors the seven last words of Christ as he faced the end of his suffering, and in the spirit of that tradition, I offer these Holy Week reflections.

1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Forgiveness. What a mighty and wonderful, good word. Jesus has been beaten, ridiculed, and now hangs on a cross, an instrument of torture and death. What are his first words from the cross? Words of forgiveness. Of course those would be his first words from what we now perceive as the very symbol of forgiveness. We began Lent with the dirt and ashes that reminded us to repent and believe the gospel. Here, at the end of Lent, we are offered this word of forgiveness for all those times when we've failed to do just that. I give thanks for the mighty and wonderful, good word that Christ offered to those who literally beat him and killed him and for me, a sinner in need of the grace of God.

I don't know who wrote the following litany, so forgive the possible copyright violation. I came across it a while back and return to it from time to time.

For those who have betrayed us...for those who have let us down...for those who have been indifferent to us...for those who have crippled our lives...for those who have doubted us...for those who have accused us...for those who have preferred others to us...for family members who have hurt us...for those who have denied us...for those who have walked away from us... We ask the power of your forgiveness, the gift of change and the grace of hope...

Hear our prayer, hear our prayer, God of mercy, hear our prayer.


For my own self pity...for my lukewarmness...for my times of despair and distrust... for my refusals to be hugged...for my disbelief in your love...for my searching everywhere but in your heart...for apologies frozen on my lips... We ask the power of your forgiveness, the gift of change, and the grace of hope...

Hear our prayer, hear our prayer, God of mercy, hear our prayer.


For my words of love unspoken...for greetings and embraces ungiven...for compliments never offered...for a heart closed in self-centeredness...for my own unforgiving postures...for not believing in your forgiveness... We ask the power of your forgiveness, the gift of change and the grace of hope...

Hear our prayer, hear our prayer, God of mercy hear our prayer. AMEN.