Day 5: Act of Contrition, 5th Line

I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance,

This is how utterly helpless we are before God, that even our penance has to be done with His help. We may have every intention of doing the right thing, but if we had the capacity to do that consistently in the first place, we would never need to repent. Yet most of us need to pretty regularly.

God’s grace works in such a way that He readily helps us when we ask Him to. He shares in His glory and salvation with us, but in a way that we will never be able to stand before Him or anyone else boasting about all that we’ve accomplished and overcome. Instead, true repentance keeps us forever humbled before God, grateful for all that He has accomplished and overcome in us.

Care to share?

This reflection is a part of By Heart: A Lenten Prayer Project.