Day 138: The Effect of Sin on Others

2 Samuel 20:1-26 A Benjaminite named Sheba pulled together an army of disgruntled northerners and started a revolt that threatened to pull apart the fragile peace between Judah and Israel.


Psalm 39 This psalm expresses a desperate lamentation over suffering and apparent ineffective prayer for divine assistance and consolation. The psalmist believed death was near and sought relief and comfort. The reality of suffering and death serves as an incentive for Christians to seek union with Christ in expectation of everlasting happiness in Heaven. 


I am your passing guest, a sojourner: Everybody must realize that life on earth is transitory, but the next life lasts FOREVER. 


Look away from me: This is a plea for leniency. (CCC 1502)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)



So we pray, “ Lord, help us to never do that again. Help us to never make choices that hurt other people ever again. And when we do, help us to turn back to you, God. Help us to turn back to the Lord and to allow Him to make us new. That in spite of our past to give us a future. Amen”



Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and we thank you. We know that you love us and we know that we can trust in your love for us even in the midst of darkness, even in the midst of failure, even in the midst of discipline. Lord God, as Psalm 39 says and even when your hand is heavy upon us, even when your hand is heavy upon us in discipline, in correction, we know that we can trust you. Help us to see your Fatherhood in your discipline, to not give in to the temptation to see a tyrant when you are actually a good Father, to not see a dictator when you are actually a good Dad. But help us to receive the discipline that you allow to come our way, to receive the discipline that you bring into your lives so that we can have a change of heart, so that we can have a change of direction, so that we can become more and more like you, our God, our Father, our Dad. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”