Psalm 51:1-17

¹   Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
²   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

³   For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴   Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
⁵   Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶   You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
⁷   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸   Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
⁹   Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
¹¹   Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
¹²  Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³  Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴  Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵  O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶  For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
¹⁷  The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

• Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
• Sit five to fifteen minutes, bringing your attention to the Breath.
• Invite God to teach you wisdom in your sacred heart.
• What false teachings need to be cleaned and removed to make room for the wisdom God has for you?
• Embrace this wisdom.
• Wear the sign of the cross to show this wisdom.
• If you are not able to attend a service today to receive the imposition of ashes, make the sign of the cross on your own forehead.
• You wear the sign of the broken spirit.
• You wear the sign of the broken spirit being made new.
• You wear the sign of the broken spirit being made new and ushering hope into the world.
• What is God’s message for you?
• Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received.
• Share as you feel led in the reply box below.