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Pardon and Peace

March 22, 2025

Micah 7:14-15 | Luke 15:11-32| Psalm 103:1-12

Collect: Grant, most merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind.

I love the today’s collect and Psalm. When I first read them a few weeks ago, my mind immediately went to what Father Jarrett has written about the Prayer of Examen which I have been trying to practice this lent. 

With current events I have been having trouble quieting my mind and have gone back to strategies I used during Covid, changing my daily news habit to more time listening to classical music and during lent spending time daily with the readings, St. Luke’s Lenten blog and sitting in quiet contemplation. This collect has become a daily prayer.

Psalm 103

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
      and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
      and forget not all his benefits.

3 He forgives all your sins *
      and heals all your infirmities;

9 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
      Slow to anger and of great kindness.

12 As far as the east is from the west, *
      So far has he removed our sins from us

And the Psalm becomes a chant that transforms into a Taizé song. St Luke’s Taizé service has become such an important service for me and I’m sure many more. The chanting songs bring you to such a deep spirit-filled place that culminates with all of us lighting and placing candles under the cross. If you have not experienced that service, I really encourage you to put it on your calendar this year and attend.  It will deepen your spiritual life and is a wonderful way to start the Easter weekend.

So, I leave you where I started with my daily Lenten prayer:

Grant, most merciful Lord, to me and all your people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind.

Fran Gammell Roach