December 21, 2012

Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 197

Reading 1 from King Solomon's Song of Songs
Sg 2:8-14

The wise King Solomon wrote many parts of the Bible.  The Song of Songs is about a great King with many wives which is apparently a veiled description of himself.  However, I believe that King Solomon would not be so vain as to write about himself in this manner unless he were prompted by the Holy Spirit to show how, in his life, he resembles the King of Kings.  King Solomon surrounded himself with many wives.  He seduced them and sought after them.

We, are alluded to, in a veiled manner by these wives.  God, in His great mercy and love for us, tenderly seeks us out and invites us into His Tent, that we may be united to Him in the most intimate Spiritual marriage Feast.  We know it as the Mass.

Hark! my lover--here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.

This is the aim of our hearts, Jesus Christ.

Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!

He hides from us and yet beckons us.

"For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!

He continually entices us with gifts of grace and love.

"O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely."

and He wants to enter into a loving conversation with us.

Here is an explanation of the Song of Songs by the great Saint John of the Cross:

Or the alternate reading from the Holy Book of the Prophet Zephaniah
Zep 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.

God reveals to the Prophet Zepheniah that Israel has been forgiven of its sins and has nothing more to fear from God.  Her punishment has been removed.  This is a veiled reference to the coming of Christ and the salvation which will result for those who repent of their sins and obey the Commandments of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

R. (1a; 3a) Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.

R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

We are continually called to rejoice in the Lord.  We who are members of His Body, the Church, have more to be thankful for than any others.  It is incumbent upon us to do so.  Because we have received the fullness of the Truth and the fullness of Grace.  Remember the warning of Christ:

Luke 12:46-48
King James Version (KJV)
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

You, my brothers and sisters, who are attending this Mass, have received much more than any Jew, Protestant, Muslim, atheist or pagan.  You are expected to do the work of the Lord.  Or else.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Lk 1:39-45

Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.

Our blessed Mother, after the announcement of the upcoming birth of Our Lord, immediately shows her greatness by selflessly going to visit her cousin, whom she has just been informed is with child.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

Unbeknownst to her, she bears with her the Gift of the Holy Spirit, which is immediately bestowed upon St. Elizabeth and the child in her womb.  Effectively baptizing both, washing them of their sins and giving St. Elizabeth the gift of prophecy.  Note how she immediately repeats the great message to Mary which God originally sent by His Angel:

"Most blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Then, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she is the first to proclaim Mary the Mother of God.

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

And she continues to proclaim the great blessedness that Mary has received of God.  St. Elizabeth sets the example we are to follow and which we Catholics do follow when we pray the Hail Mary and the Rosary.

Sincerely,

De Maria