Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Abraham, the patriarch, had a wife named Sarah who had a slave named Hagar. This Hagar was driven out into the wilderness twice by the jealous rage of her mistress, first in Genesis 16 and then again in Genesis 21. Each time, in her wilderness desperation, Hagar had mystical experiences. The most high God of all remembered the poor, abandoned slave girl in exile, a girl of little value to anyone. God sent his angel to her. Hagar’s trips into the desert had certain aspects in common with The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Going away from work and home and entering a place of solitude. Fasting. These are important components of theExercises.
The first time Hagar was alone in the wilderness, the angel said to her “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” The second time she was alone in the wilderness, the angel asked her “What is the matter, Hagar?” And these are precisely the sorts of questions that come up in retreats made according to St. Ignatius’Spiritual Exercises.
In both chapters of Genesis, as her mystical experiences draw to a close, Hagar receives a blessing from God as her reward. Similarly, those who have made The Spiritual Exercises are often rewarded with a blessing.