“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.
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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.
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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.