December 21, 2013

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 197
Reading 1 SG 2:8-14

This is a reading from the song of Solomon sometimes also called the Song Of Songs.

Hark! my lover–here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.

"My lover" is a reference to God or to Jesus Christ. He is metaphorically described as a deer or stag.

My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.

God reveals himself in order we may seek him in faith and love.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!
“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!

When God comes into our lives is like the world is reborn. Suddenly, all which was dead is alive. We also come to life. Suddenly, we are new people reborn in Christ.

“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.”

"My dove" represents our soul. Before we know Christ, it is as though our soul is buried in the rocks. Where he says, "let me hear your voice", that is a reference to our prayers.

The Song Of Songs represents a relationship with God as a love affair.

Or 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;

Israel had been afflicted by God's punishment. But now God relented and forgave Israel their sins. Therefore, Zephaniah called for prayers of thanksgiving and celebration.

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.

This is an Old Testament prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us.

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.

Let us rejoice because we are God's chosen, the people he has elected to receive his gifts. There is rejoicing that others can hear us and come to the Lord.

Gospel 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.

Yesterday we read that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and gave her the good news is she would be the mother of God. He also informed her that Elizabeth her cousin would bear a son in her old age.

Today we see Mary rushing to her cousins aid.

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

St. Elizabeth was the first woman to call Mary by the title "mother of God". That is what "mother of my Lord" means. This she did by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So if we go back to yesterday's reading, we have the angel Gabriel pronouncing the message of God to Mary. Praising Mary through the angel.

Today we have a saint praising Mary inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore it is God's will that Mary be praised.

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.”

Let us join the Angels and Saints then in praise of Mary. There's join our voices together and cry out, "Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb."