First Sunday of Lent: The time is not just for penance but for God's 'abundant' mercy, says faith leader

The 40 days of this year's Lenten play started this past week, connected Ash Wednesday, arsenic religious Christians each complete nan world began nan belief commemoration of nan 40 days that Jesus spent successful nan desert, erstwhile he was tempted by Satan.

While Lent is known for being a clip of penance and mentation up of nan celebration of Easter, it's besides considered a clip of God's abundant mercy, said Catholic writer and world speaker Katie McGrady. 

"Lent is simply a play of mercy," said McGrady, based successful Lake Charles, Louisiana. 

She holds a grade successful theology from University of Dallas.

WHAT IS LENT AND THE LENTEN SEASON AND HOW DO CHRISTIANS OBSERVE THE TIME BEFORE EASTER SUNDAY?

"We sometimes move it into a play of individual reward truthful arsenic to look holy, but immoderate penance we return on, immoderate dream believe we adhd to our regular and immoderate generous gifts we make are meant to tie america person to God," she said.

"And he is nan God of mercy."

Katie McGrady is simply a erstwhile younker minister, nan writer of 4 religion books and nan big of "The Katie McGrady Show" connected Sirius XM's The Catholic Channel.  (Katie Prejean McGrady)

"And truthful successful Lent, to beryllium person to God is to beryllium person to his mercy, which he longs to lavish upon us."

Lent is observed by some, but not all, Christian denominations. 

For nan first Sunday of Lent, Catholic churches astir nan world will beryllium proclaiming Psalm 51, which has nan refrain, "Be merciful, O Lord, for we person sinned."

Sin, on pinch decease and taxes, are "three things inevitable successful this life," said McGrady. 

The play of Lent is observed successful different ways by those who beryllium to different denominations. (Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

"We don't for illustration to dwell connected immoderate of them, rather frankly, moreover though possibly we should," she said.

Those who dwell connected decease should "do good to deliberation of really we tin unrecorded life to nan afloat truthful arsenic to shake hands decease for illustration an aged friend erstwhile it arrives," said McGrady.

WHAT IS ASH WEDNESDAY? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF LENT

When it comes to taxes, McGrady noted that paying them connected clip "makes it slightest a small little surprising." 

Sin, however, moreover successful its "seeming inevitability," is champion thought of arsenic "something worthy resisting" — alternatively than "something to dwell on," she said.

Lent is simply a clip of prayer, fasting and almsgiving successful mentation for nan ceremony of Easter. (iStock)

"Sin exists," said McGrady, "because broken and fallen people exist. But mercy exists each nan much — a loving God longs to attack america pinch nan gift of forgiveness."

Like taxes and death, "his mercy, swift and complete and all-encompassing, is assured," she said. 

BIBLE VERSE OF THE WEEK: JESUS TAUGHT WHAT ‘FULFILLMENT’ OF THE LAW ACTUALLY MEANS, SAYS FAITH LEADER

God's mercy, however, "is not conscionable a wiping cleanable of nan slate, arsenic if God instantly forgets really we've fallen and failed." 

She went on, "The mercy of God is an outpouring of his cleanable and abundant love, a compassion truthful expansive there’s thing to comparison it to successful this world."

Said McGrady, "It is mysterious [and] difficult to judge for ourselves because we often consciousness unworthy of God’s mercy." 

"God’s abundant mercy quenches our thirst and warms our acold sinner’s heart," writer, speaker and theologian McGrady said (pictured above, left). (Katie Prejean O'Grady, iStock)

She said it's "even harder still [for us] to springiness [it] to others, particularly if we ideate others are undeserving also."

Despite this, humanity is still hopeless for God's mercy, she said, comparing this mercy to h2o connected a basking time aliases a broad during a acold night.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"God’s abundant mercy quenches our thirst and warms our acold sinner’s heart," she said. 

"It is what we agelong for, what we request and what heals america successful ways beyond our understanding."

When praying Psalm 51, Christians who are crying out, "Be merciful, O Lord," cognize they request God's mercy, said McGrady — arsenic misdeed is "an inevitable reality."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER 

Sin, however, is not nan only inevitability. 

"So, too, is nan mercy he will springiness us," said McGrady.