Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Opening Prayer

Lord, grant that I may see you more clearly,
love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly,
day by day.

Scripture

Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Reflection

The meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is filled with profound joy and spiritual recognition. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, immediately acknowledges the significance of Mary’s child, calling her “the mother of my Lord.” This moment of mutual recognition and celebration encourages us to acknowledge and rejoice in the work of God in others. By celebrating each other’s spiritual journeys and gifts, we strengthen our faith community and experience the joy of shared belief and divine purpose.

The narrative emphasises the active presence of the Holy Spirit as John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb at Mary’s greeting. This powerful reaction signifies the Spirit’s role in revealing divine truths and stirring hearts. Reflecting on this, we are inspired to remain open to the movements of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. Embracing the Spirit’s guidance can lead to deeper insights, transformative experiences, and a greater awareness of God’s presence and action in the world around us.

Contemplation

I take a few moments to imagine the scene from the Gospel story I just read. I let the words come alive in my heart. I visualise the event as if I was there and part of the story. I pay attention to all the details, the sights, the sounds, the tastes, the smells, and the feelings of the event. I imagine myself as one of the characters in the scene or as myself present in the story. What message does Jesus have for me? How is God speaking to me personally through this story? I open my heart to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Thanksgiving

I ask God, the Father, to give me an intimate knowledge of the many gifts I have received,
so that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty.

Fellow Pilgrims

I think that the trivialness of life is, and personally to each one, ought to be seen to be, done away with by the Incarnation.
Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ

Closing Prayer

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Amen.