When My Iniquities Overtake Me--Oct. 2, 2015

O Jesus, when my iniquities overtake me,

more in number than the hairs of my head,

and when my heart fails me and I cannot see,

and I realize that what I have proclaimed to others

I myself have failed to follow--what to do then, Lord?

I come to you and spread everything out before you;

and remember the leper who knelt before you

(the one who said that if you chose,

you could make him clean,

and you chose to do it).

His request is mine.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 84; 148; 25; 40

2 Kings 19:1-20

1 Cor. 9:6-27

Matt. 8:1-17

Selected Verses

Ps. 40:12

For evils have encompassed me
          without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
          until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
          and my heart fails me.

2 Kings 19:14

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; then Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. 

1 Cor. 9:27

…but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

Matt. 8:2

…and there was a leper who came to [Jesus] and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.”