Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (1: 39-45) in which Mary visits her pregnant cousin Elizabeth at her home in Judea.Fr Paul continues to read from the ‘Heart of the Disciple’* resource for our daily reflections which asks us to consider the following:A word or a poem, a lyric or a speech can move the heart and soften it, but it’s not the words alone that will do it. It is the heart of the writer that truly moves us. This happens when the writer manages to construct and arrange the words to express something that is within their own heart and mind. So, if their heart is genuinely loving and good, the reader is able to experience that love and goodness through the words. If we apply this to the scripture today, particularly the first reading for today, where we see the heart of God revealed, speaking to us through this beautiful poetry from the Song of Solomon (Songs 2:8-14). Look behind the text, and consider the love coming from the heart of the author. The love behind the words is more powerful than the words themselves. It is as we allow ourselves to meditate on the love behind the words, that we encounter what will transform and heal the heart. When we read the Song of Solomon in this way, we find that God is truly in love with us. In this overwhelmingly romantic poem, we see that the author has a tender and passionate heart. This heart is noble and good and full of the kind of love for which every soul thirsts. Too easily we can forget that our God is a God who loves us beyond all measure. We can catch a glimpse of this when we witness Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11) and over Jerusalem (Luke 19). This love is revealed behind any text of scripture. To experience the overwhelming love of God, look beyond the text and consider the heart of the author.For our reflection and discussion, Fr Paul invites us to consider, my own life can be viewed as a poem in which God, who seeks to co-author my life with me, is revealed. Ponder that thought for a moment. How is the God who is deeply in love with me revealed in my life? Today, don’t get too caught up in trying to ‘find’ God. Instead, pray for the grace to become alert to who God is and what God is doing … and what he is inviting me to do. Let God do his part. “How can we recover the personal space needed to carry on a heartfelt dialogue with God?” (GE, 29).And today we pray:Loving God, you invite me to work with you to bring my life into being.Give me a heart that is open to working with and responding to you. Heal my sight so that I might see you at work and rejoice. Amen.