Posted by Video and Music by Fr Paul M. Aquino SVD (USA)
April 7, 2019
Fifth Sunday of Lent
How are we doing in our Lenten journey? The season of Lent calls us to reflect, repent and be reconciled. We are also told to pray, fast and give. We may have promised to do or give up something starting on Ash Wednesday so that we may follow Christ more closely but it’s turning out that things are not going the way we hoped they would be. After four weeks of Lent, we may already be asking the Lord to help us and find ourselves saying, “Lord, have mercy! Kyrie, eleison!” We, thus, focus so much on our failures and weaknesses.
As we say or sing this part of the mass, let this quote from Fr. Mark R. Francis, CSV, the president of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago (where I finished my theology degree) enlighten us:
“Its emphasis is not on us (our sinfulness) but on God’s mercy and salvific action in Jesus Christ. It could just as accurately be translated “O Lord, you are merciful!” Note that the sample tropes all mention what Christ has done for us, not how we have sinned. For example, “you were sent to heal the contrite,” “you have shown us the way to the Father,” or “you come in word and sacrament to strengthen us in holiness,” leading to further acclamation of God’s praises in the Gloria.”
The Gospel reading today tells the story of how Jesus showed mercy and compassion to the woman caught in adultery. God does not condone sin but rather God recognizes our sincere repentance and thus grants us forgiveness of our sins.
With this post is my musical setting of the Penitential Act with Invocations. It is my hope and prayer that as we say or sing “Lord, have mercy,” we will always proclaim that our God is the God of mercy and compassion.
May God bless us all. Have a blessed Sunday to all of you.
N.B.
I am trying to learn new things as I was doing this video: recording, mixing, videography and especially singing! After doing this video, I can honestly say that I still have a lot to learn.
