“Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” Trust is such a fragile and delicate thing. We trust, we want to trust, we need to trust, we offer our trust to one another, to a spouse or friend, a family member or associate. Unfortunately, trust is often shattered, smashed, and betrayed. We are left bewildered wondering why a promise was broken, a commitment not kept or a confidence shattered. We risk losing and ending long-term friendships, fellowships and relationships built on trust, meant to last and founded on so much hope. We cannot trust anyone, including ourselves because we are also betrayers of confidence and trust. God has entrusted us with a message of hope, a gospel of life, a mission of love. Have we maintained the trust God has placed on all of us to listen to His beloved Son, Jesus? Has your poor heart ached and burned with the fire of eternal love to listen to God’s Word proclaimed to you personally at Mass, in liturgy, in prayer? Have you become a person of great prayer? Have you generously dedicated time from your busy schedule and day to know God more intimately, love Him more profoundly, serve Him more faithfully and minister in His holy name? Can you truly be trusted with sharing the Good News, faithfully receiving the Eucharist, joyfully celebrating the Sacraments, extend God’s peace, mercy, and forgiveness to others? Trust is the perfect gift we can offer our Lord this Lenten Season. God entrusted us with His Son even though He knew we would betray and crucify Him. We continue to betray Jesus when we break our baptismal promise to renounce sin and temptation and believe and trust in God. We say, “Jesus, I trust in you” but do we truly understand what we are saying and mean? Do we trust Jesus enough to care for us, provide for us, bestow His infinite love and divine mercy upon us? Do you trust that Jesus can forgive your sins? We all face difficulty with trust. Not that God cannot be trusted; God is faithful always and devoted in fidelity to His covenant. It is difficult to forgive, to heal, and trust again. Nevertheless, God gives us the remedy and the cure. Allow God to heal the betrayal you experienced. Permit God to flood you with His love, fill you with such gratitude that you can learn to trust again. Trust God always because He is trustworthy and will never betray you. Never has. Never will.
