Purify my heart- Today's readings set forth the yearning of Purity

"A pure heart create for me, O God,
and put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your Holy Spirit."
Psalm 51, 10-11

Lord, purify my heart.
Cleanse me of my sin--
the obvious sins I recognize,
but also the sins most people do not see,
the one most so egregious to You.
Which is:  the lack of trust--
the sin that offends You so deeply.
When the storm came and the apostles,
who had witnessed miracle after miracle,
were still afraid,
they cried out,
“Master, do you not care? We are going down!”
You arose, and the winds stopped instantly,
saying, “Quiet now. Be calm.”
Then You said to them,
“Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?”
Likewise, You elevated the centurion,
whose faith in You was so great
that he was worthy to be recorded in the Gospel--
a testimony we are still reading two millennia later.
You were making clear how You desire us to believe.
David showed this as well,
unobstructed by the size or strength of Goliath,
defending Your name when he said,
“I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty,
the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
This lack of faith in the Trinity is deeply offensive.
The refusal to believe in Your mercy and forgiveness
is a grave sin of the heart.
Lord, help us to believe
that You can overcome every situation in our lives.
When trials come—whether sudden or long-standing--
let us proclaim:
“My God will save me, in His time.
I will wait with full trust in Him.”
Let us be proud of You,
so that You may be proud of us.
Let no disease, financial hardship, broken relationship,
or suffering weaken my trust in You.
If I feel my trust beginning to wane,
let me be quick to ask You
to pour deeper trust into my soul,
so that I may persevere through every hardship
and know You as You truly are to me:
God—my Father, Protector, Provider,
Healer, Comforter.
My God, You are my everything.
I see now, Lord,
how doubt and disbelief in You
are truly terrible impurities of the soul.
Lord, purify my heart.