Ash Wednesday: Between Promise and Fulfillment
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Program Cost: $80.00 (includes Lunch)
Summary
We await the birth of Christ Incarnate—the Word made flesh, the Light breaking into our darkness. In this sacred season of Advent, we are invited to listen deeply to the ancient songs and prophetic voices that echo with longing and hope. The scriptures stir our hearts, shaping the contours of our prayer with images of endings and beginnings.
Advent does not simply anticipate a birth—it announces a breaking open. The world as we know it, built on self-sufficiency, endless striving, and the illusion of earning love, begins to crumble. The voice in the wilderness calls us to let go, to make straight the path for something radically new: a God who comes not in power, but in vulnerability.
On this Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection, we will rest in the silence of sacred space and let the Word of God awaken us. Through Ignatian prayer and stillness, we will explore how the Advent scriptures prepare our hearts to receive Emmanuel, God-with-us, who comes as gift, not reward.
Description
A day or evening of reflection, grounded in the Jesuit tradition, is a shorter version of the Ignatian Weekend Retreat. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, a day or evening program is sure to give you the peace and serenity needed to be still and to rest in God's loving embrace.
Your day or evening of reflection includes thematic talks from our skilled Retreat Leaders, time for private prayer, celebration of Mass and a meal.
Bellarmine has two libraries, a resource center, two chapels, and many other common areas. Outdoor spaces include a various walking trails, various prayer gardens, a gazebo, stations of the cross, as well as a few patios and outdoor chairs and benches.
Retreat Experience Gallery
Bellarmine Main Entrance
Sacred Heart Chapel
Mary McKeon Library
St. Joseph Gazebo
Mother Teresa Garden
Eastern Africa Collection
Fireplace Lounge
Dining Room
Winter on the Grounds
Resource Center
Sacred Heart Statue at Sunset
Susie's Memorial Garden
Madonna Library
Lower Level Lounge
Retreat Leader
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
Fr. Roc O’Connor, SJ has served as a member of the Bellarmine Ministry Team since October, 2021. He also leads the children’s choir at St. Mary’s, Buffalo Grove for Wednesday morning Masses. Currently, Roc is also working on a book for adults regarding deepening our participation at liturgy. In 2020 OCP published his collection of eight new songs, All Shall Be Well: The Hand of God.