This meditation is the first part of a three-part mediation blog series. You may wish to have a journal handy to write down any thoughts or feelings that arise as you go through this meditation.
The Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46–55) is a beautiful expression of God’s love through Mary’s words as she is filled with the Holy Spirit during her visit with her cousin Elizabeth. Using verses of the Canticle, the following meditation focuses on forgiveness and asks God to become a part of the process. You can read the full Canticle of Mary here.
This three-part meditation blog series starts with realizing our dependence on God to be able to forgive others (Part I). It then leads us into asking Jesus to help us forgive someone we are having difficulty forgiving (Part II). The final part ends with a meditation to give us a glimpse into what our relationship may feel like once it is healed by the mercy of God (Part III).
Let Us Enter Into Silence
Settle yourself in solitude, and you will come upon God in yourself.
-St. Teresa of Avila
Find a quiet place away from distractions. Close your eyes and become aware of Jesus, who is present with you always. No words are necessary, only your awareness of His presence with you. See Him looking upon you with love. Feel Him showering down His peace upon you.
PART I: Are You Aware of Your Hunger for God?
“The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:53)
When we are physically hungry, our stomachs are empty and need life-giving food. Spiritually our souls are hungry as well, hungry for the love and mercy of Jesus.
When we fulfill our selfish desires and do as we wish, we are still unfulfilled because these desires are like the empty calories in the processed foods we eat. Processed foods have been created to satisfy our taste buds, but the body is still left hungry for the foods that will actually provide it nourishment!
The same is true with the selfish desires that consume our hearts. When we focus only on what we want and need, our hearts become “rich” with self and unaware of our hunger for God. Fulfilling our selfish desires might soothe an immediate need for gratification, but it always leaves us unfulfilled. Only when we realize our complete dependence on God for all we could ever want and need can He fill us with the life-giving spiritual nourishment we crave.
Reflection
Ask Jesus to show you where you need to empty your heart of the desires that are getting in the way of realizing your complete dependence on Him. If you notice an area where you may be holding back from letting go because there is a desire you do not want to give up for some reason, invite Jesus in deeper, and ask Him to show you why your desire to hold on to this is so strong.
Feel free to write down anything you are experiencing in your journal.
Closing Prayer
Jesus,
I surrender my wounded heart and wounded relationships to You.
I ask for the grace to grow in humility and realize how I am completely dependent upon You.
You alone know my heart, its woundedness and sinfulness. I trust in Your Divine Mercy and Your eternal love for me.
Purify my heart, and leave no crevice untouched by the healing flames of Your Most Sacred Heart so I can experience the joy of completely depending on You and surrendering my entire self into Your Heart. Amen.
You can view Part II and Part III of this blog series and sign up here to get notified via email of more prayers and reflections.