Jesus, Forgive My Sins

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Mark 10:48

Just as failure to give a car its M.O.T. can be a matter of life or death, so can our failure to check up on faults that may have been developing, unnoticed, in ourselves. Celtic Christians had check lists of common faults; these were incorporated in what were known as ‘Penitentials’.

The following prayer of confession is a useful check-list. It may be worth while taking the time to detect examples of each type of fault in our lives, and to take these to the heavenly Mechanic who can put them right. It is also worth remembering that Celtic Christians believed that God has made us horizontal, and not just vertical; in other words, we are designed to share our secrets with another trusted human being, an ‘anamchara’ or companion along the way. Have you thought of doing that at this stage in your life?

Jesus, forgive my sins.
Forgive the sins that I can remember
and also the sins I have forgotten.
Forgive the wrong actions I have committed
and the right actions I have omitted.
Forgive the times I have been weak in the face of temptation
and those when I have been stubborn in the face of correction.
Forgive the times I have been proud of my own achievements
and those when I have failed to boast of your works.
Forgive the harsh judgments I have made of others
and the leniency I have shown myself.
Forgive the lies I have told to others
and the truths I have avoided.
Forgive the pain I have caused others
and the indulgence I have shown myself.
Jesus have pity on me, and make me whole.
From Celtic Fire, Robert Van der Weyer (Unattributed)