Reading 1
Sg 2:8-14
Hark! my lover–here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
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!
“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!
“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.”
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;
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.
Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Responsorial PsalmR. (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.
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.
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?
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.”
Meditation: Luke 1:39-45
“Blessed are you who believed.” (Luke 1:45)
Mary was joyful—but probably also a bit apprehensive—about the news that God had chosen her to bear his Son. So when the angel Gabriel told her that her cousin Elizabeth was also expecting, Mary “set out and traveled to the hill country in haste” (Luke 1:39).
How Mary’s heart must have leapt at the sound of her cousin’s voice! Here was someone who knew what was happening to her and who could rejoice with her, despite the difficulties ahead. It must have been just what Mary needed, which is perhaps why she hurried to see Elizabeth. During the months that followed, the two women enjoyed sisterly companionship and mutual support as they celebrated the great things that God was doing in their lives.
How important it is that we support and affirm one another in the same way! Especially in those times when we start to doubt our own value or our ability to do the work to which God has called us, the right words from a trusted companion can make all the difference. Mary and Elizabeth show us how much we can help each other simply by our reassuring presence. By listening attentively and by offering words of encouragement, we can help each other embrace the road that God has marked out for us with energy, enthusiasm, and hope—no matter how daunting it may seem at times.
Today’s Gospel reading is a call to value the brotherhood and sisterhood that God has given us. It’s a call for husbands and wives to see the treasure that they are to each other. It’s a call for parents to enjoy their children and for neighbors to reach out to each other. It’s a call to join ourselves in solidarity with the poor and needy. Every day, God gives us so many opportunities to meet Jesus in each other, so many opportunities for our hearts to leap for joy at the sight of each other.
Just as Mary had the honor of bearing Jesus in her womb, we have the honor of bearing Jesus in our hearts. In these last few days before Christmas, let’s open our eyes to see Jesus in each other so that his light can shine on all of us!
“Jesus, you are the light that shines in the darkness. Make me into that light, shining for others who need your support and love.”
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