Sometime in Lent I invite us all to pray for forgiveness for those sins which we know we have committed during the difficult times we have been through with the coronavirus pandemic. During Lent, we are given another chance to repent and return to our Heavenly Father’s love. Below is one suggestion for carrying this out on one’s own, or as a family, based on an idea I found on the internet. (I leave it to individuals to adjust the words “We, us, our, I etc., as appropriate)
This reading from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 serves as an introduction: So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, He made Him to be sin Who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The word of the Lord. R: Thanks be to God (Prayer) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for not bearing witness to you by our lives, spreading through our words, deeds, and attitudes Your love, mercy, kindness, spirit of forgiveness and service to those around us. We pray to the Lord. “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Now call to mind the goodness of God our Father, and acknowledge our sins, so that we may receive His merciful forgiveness. “I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.”
(Prayer) My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You Whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.
(Concluding prayer) O Lord our God, look upon our weakness with compassion and forgiveness that we might be made whole again. Cleanse us of our sins, and free us from the prison of guilt, that we may live in the promised joy of Your salvation. May God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit Who gives life to all, grant us grace and mercy, now and forever, Amen.