March 12, 2025 // Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Jonah 3:1-10
For one year, I knelt before our Eucharistic Lord every day just before six o’clock in the morning. Some mornings I was barely awake but I had to be there anyway. I was a postulant with cloistered Carmelites and my world was being rocked. I was deeply aware of my need for Him.
I thought I knew what humility was. I thought I knew what it meant to rely solely on the Lord, until I realized that I did not. Every fiber in my being grew tired from hard labor, silence, prayer—some fun times too—yet I had to keep showing up. Bowing low before Him, I would ask Him to change me, to heal me, to help me on this new journey. He was the sign I was looking towards.
When I read today’s account of the king rising from his throne, setting aside his robes, and putting on sackcloth to sit in ashes (see Jonah 3:6), I know that this awareness of my sin and repentance is something I must repeat daily. Not only while in Carmel discerning religious life, but also here and now in my daily tasks as wife, mother, sister, and daughter. I must look to the sign and change my ways to live differently (see Jonah 3:10).
While I look upon Him, Jesus lovingly invites me to repent and rise from the throne of self-reliance. He helps me to take off the robe of shame, pride, and false humility, in order to put on His heart, His humility, His disposition.
I want to put on a spiritual sackcloth of repentance and sit in His presence, allowing Him to transform me in the Eucharist, through His Word, in the Sacraments, through day-to-day encounters, and in seasons of penance and fasting. I want to allow Him to be the sign, the One that changes the trajectory of my life—from halfway living to becoming fully alive—a Nineveh, repented and restored.
Relate to the Lord // Take time before bed tonight to talk to Jesus about when you were close to Him and when you chose to sin. Tell Him you are sorry and thank Him for His love. Consider making an examen at the end of the day as part of your daily routine.
Rocio Hermes is a Dominican-born, US-raised, stay-at-home mom who is excited about building community, baking desserts, and writing poetry. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology and has lived in Ethiopia as a missionary. Rocio now lives in Israel with her German husband and their son. She is a contributing author to Blessed Conversations: Dwell. You can read more from her at graceandmercyblog.com.
Rocío Hermes es una mama de casa nacida en República Dominicana y criada en Estados Unidos, a quien le entusiasma construir una comunidad, hornear postres y escribir poesía. Tiene una maestría en Teología y ha vivido en Etiopía como misionera. Rocío ahora vive en Israel con su marido alemán y su hijo. Es autora colaboradora de Blessed Conversations: Dwell. Puede leer más sobre ella en Graceandmercyblog.com.
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