“I had a short imperfect sight of a soul wholly God’s” Mary Ward noted during her spiritual exercises in 1619. The Lenten journey offers a time of spiritual growth. To help us on the journey Rachel McLoughlin ibvm and Susan Daily ibvm have prepared contemporary spiritual exercises written for five consecutive Sundays in Lent 2024.
Preparation
“A greater desire and content to look upon Jesus, and
to find a will to do nothing but what he would, and
because he would.“
Mary Ward
I become aware of the loving gaze of God.
Opening Prayer
With simple words, I offer myself to be wholly God’s
Desire
I desire to be open to the Holy Spirit and I ask for interior knowledge of God’s creative love at work in me.
Prayer
I read the prayer texts to anchor myself in the mystery of the Trinity and divine creativity.
In my prayer I consider how Jesus was faced with temptations which would have undermined his mission.
With my imagination I enter the wilderness with Jesus and the Spirit.
I ask the Spirit to reveal more clearly what God is doing in me and for me so that I can respond to Jesus whole heartedly.
I ponder the temptations that tend to block God’s dreams and mission in me.
I consider repentance and how it involves transforming my attitude and life toward a new outlook.
Colloquy of the Senses
In reverence, I take a bowl of water, the symbol of the waters of creation. I bless it. As I touch the water I consider how as part of creation, I might prepare this Lenten season to become more wholly God’s. I share my thoughts and feelings with the Spirit.
