Day 8: Act of Contrition, Last Line

In his name, my God, have mercy.

I have to admit, I prayed in Jesus’ name long before it finally occurred to me what these words really mean. It wasn’t until my husband, Josh, was getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan for the first time (or second time, maybe? One of the earlier times), and we went to an autumn festival for the families of his battalion. There was a bouncy house, pumpkin painting, interactive displays of various military paraphernalia, and then there were the various tables you'd expect to find at a festival for families who were getting ready to send their soldier overseas—food tables, craft tables, and tables for making sure the soldier's legal matters were all squared away, such as his will, and Power of Attorney.

I am Josh’s wife. So when my husband is overseas, he gives me Power of Attorney, and suddenly I am not just myself in legal matters; I am both of us. I have the legitimate right to make decisions for our family as both Josh and myself, even signing legal documents in Josh’s name.

This is how I came to understand what I had been praying this whole time. In a similar way, when the Bride of Christ—that is the Church—prays in Jesus’ name, God the Father does not just see us; He sees His son. In this last line in the Act of Contrition, Jesus Himself prays for mercy. This is one of the greatest privileges we have in being so intimately united in covenant with Christ. We are His Bride with the power to pray in His very own name.

Care to share?

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