First Wednesday of Lent

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day's walk announcing, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed," when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

Although we might not meet a Jonah in our lives, that doesn’t mean we aren’t all being warned by God to change our ways. We might have certain sins and imperfections we fall into again and again. These spiritual weaknesses need to be addressed with the same contrition, hope, and determination as the people of Nineveh. We might not put on sackcloth, sit in ashes, or fast on nothing, but we do need to turn away from our evil ways and make amends with God. If we do make things right with Him, then we shall be saved from destruction and death. God will take pity on us and give us another chance to prove we love Him more than our sins and failings.

What do we need to repent for and fast from? How can we amend our lives? What actions can we take to put God first and foremost in our lives?

O Lord, we repent for all our sins and imperfections.

Amen.