Reminiscere Sunday, the Second Sunday in Lent

The second Sunday in Lent is called Reminiscere from the first words of Psalm 25:5-6, “Remember, O Lord.” The dictionary definition of the word “remember” is so bland, “to bring to mind.” How boring! It’s sort of like remembering that 2+2 = 4. But close your eyes for a moment, and remember a truly “memorable” occasion, a family gathering or an outing or pivotal decision made. You will not just recollect facts, but will find yourself reproducing emotions, being aware of sounds and smells, noticing expressions and nuances you would never see in a bare factoid. Consider this. When Jesus says “As often as you eat this bread or drink this cup, remember Me”, He is not asking us merely to recite a creed or catechism lesson about the facts of His saving sacrifice. He is asking us to be one with Him; to experience devotion not doctrine, relationship not religion. Remembrance to me carries with it more of the picture of making something present again with all its power to touch and move our entire being, not just our mind.

So on this past Sunday we called out to God and asked Him to remember. Remember what? Well, the psalm gives us three invocations for God to remember in the two verses noted above, two are framed in a positive sense, and one in a negative. “Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.” This second Sunday of Lent finds us asking God to once again make present before His eyes abounding and eternal mercy and love on our behalf, and to let us start to understand how it is that God looks upon us. And knowing that He is looking upon us, we are quick to ask Him not “to forget”, but “to remember not” our sins, to make them as far as the east is from the west from before His presence. This allows us to realize afresh that it was while we were yet sinners, that Christ died for us. And because of that great gift, there is now, therefore, no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus. God's perfect love has cast out our fear before Him. But frail as we are, we are bold to remind Him yet once more to look upon us, with all of our baggage and inadequacies, with the measuring stick of His eternal love. With such assurance we can boldly stand upon the promise of God’s word, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That is a very reassuring thought in our spiritual pilgrimage of Lent.