FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF JERUSALEM – 18th FEBRUARY
February 18, 2024
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
February 18, 2024
18 February, 2024
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. – 1 Peter 3:18
God of Righteousness and Truth, we prostrate before you in humble adoration, praise and submission, for you deemed us worthy enough to be saved, even when our transgressions engulfed the entire earth, making you withdraw from us, as we made ourselves most unworthy of fellowship with our God. Yet, you had already foreseen our nature of sinfulness and had, even though you distanced yourself from us, planned to save us, knowing we were incapable of rising above the bondage of iniquity we were surrounded with, and needed a Saviour.
You gave us your only Son, who, by his death and resurrection took upon himself the curse of our sins. Sin was responsible for our losing the friendship and fellowship with our God. Jesus had to take on human flesh, and as a mortal being, suffer and be crucified, to crush sin and restore us to fellowship with you, our Father. Jesus was reproached, slandered and bore the slur and censure of the weight of the sins of the whole world, so that, by his sin offering, we might attain righteousness.
Lord God, when we see the extent of our Messiah’s manifestation of his love for mankind, willingly offering his life as an eternal ransom for our sins, we bow down in our lowliness. Father, Jesus restored the glory of your Holy Name. He restored us, by delivering, redeeming and making us recipients of your free grace of salvation and eternal life, purified for justice and righteous for salvation. By his resurrection, he gave us the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor and Guide, through Whom, he abides in us forever. We declare with faith our allegiance and loyalty to our Redeemer, in our endeavor to be obedient and Christ-like, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
