Daily Reading
There are times, perhaps in moments of prayer, worship, or solitude, in which we anticipate and sense the presence of the Lord. In Luke 1:39-45, Elizabeth, upon the arrival of her pregnant cousin Mary, senses God's presence as her child (John the Baptist) leaps in the womb. Six months before this, Elizabeth had learned of her surprise pregnancy. What had she been doing in the meantime, prior to Mary's arrival? She had spent the time in seclusion, in solitude with God. Luke says she was "filled with the Holy Spirit." She is sharply attuned to God's presence. And she is not alone in her openness to God. She calls Mary blessed for believing in the "fulfillment of what is spoken to her by the Lord." Both Mary and Elizabeth, because they were truly engaged with God, anticipated something wonderful and were open to receiving the prophecies given to them.
In reflecting on the faith and obedience of Mary and Elizabeth, how can regular time with God, perhaps in sacred solitude, make you open to the Holy Spirit in anticipation of God's work in your life?