A Companion Journal
The Second Day in Lent
Reflection By Scott Stoner
Simply praying for the awareness of God’s loving gaze that is cast upon the hurting and vulnerable, even and especially ourselves, is one way to begin.
- Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows
After Jennifer invited us to begin our Lenten journey with prayer, it seems appropriate to start today’s reflection with a prayer.
Gracious and compassionate God, awaken our awareness to the abiding love you have for all people, especially for those suffering and most vulnerable. And with our hearts awakened, guide us to be your voices and hands of compassion in the world as we respond to the needs of those who are hurting.
In the third week of this devotional, we will reflect more deeply on the connection between prayer and compassion. It is important to note that as people of faith, our compassion and love for others flow from our relationship with God. If our love and compassion for others are grounded only in our own strength and efforts, we will be inconsistent at best. When it is grounded in God’s love and is an expression of that love flowing through us, our compassion will be deeper and sustained.
In the spirit of yesterday’s Ash Wednesday reflection, we hope you will use this devotional as your own “compassion journal.” One way to begin is by responding to the “Making it Personal” prompts that follow each day’s reflection. You can use the spaces and blank pages provided to record your thoughts and feelings and wonderings about God’s compassion and the compassion that God is calling you to offer, both to others and to yourself.
Making it Personal: Slowly pray the prayer offered above two or three times. What words or phrase speak to you in this prayer? What connection do you see between prayer and compassion? What do you think of the idea of using this devotional as a personal “compassion journal,” a place where you can capture your thoughts during Lent?