The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance

Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness
in your abundant compassion
blot out my offense.
Wash away all my guilt;
from my sin cleanse me.

For I know my offense;
my sin is always before me.
Against you alone have I sinned;
I have done such evil in your sight
That you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
Still, you insist on sincerity of heart;
in my inmost being teach me wisdom.

Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;
wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins;
blot out all my guilt.

A clean heart create for me, God;
renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from your presence,
nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore my joy in your salvation;
sustain in me a willing spirit.

I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to you.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God,
that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Lord, open my lips;
my mouth will proclaim your praise.
For you do not desire sacrifice;
a burnt offering you would not accept.
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit;
God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.

–Psalm 51:3-19

A Christmas note

For the past few weeks from my last entry… life has been teaching me a lot of things. The school of life has taught me the strength of retreating and let someone else, someone more deserving, to take the limelight. There are even crash courses about patience and surrendering indefinitely to the Almighty on things that are beyond my reach. I guess wisdom does come with age and some of it from the learned mistakes due to my own idiocy. Somehow I’ve come to a place where I am able to accept that some people still forgives and there is still room for hope and miracles. 

It’s a good thing, I guess, and that I’m learning stuff during this beautiful season. Like I said, there are still rooms for hope and miracles. No matter what happens, no matter how absurd I may find myself in a situation, God is still the one who holds my strings and keeps me from drowning. Of course I learned most of the stuffs the hard way. But since its Christmas, it’s worth every tear and drop of sweat. So my prayer for you, who is reading this short Christmas note right now, is that God be with you always and going through everything with you. Let his strength be yours and let his heart beat inside your body so that you will find once again the beauty and meaning of your life. 

Let this Christmas teaches all of us the beauty to love again and to hope again, despite the painful memories and whatever burden that presses us and weighing us down. Yes. May we all find Jesus, the little yet mighty King, in that old forsaken stable. With that I end this with a hope of seeing you in Bethlehem on the night where the angels’ voices fill the sky as the earth welcomes her new born Saviour, once again. Have a beautiful Christmas everyone. Love and prayers always from me.