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.
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.
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
“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste.” (Luke 1:39)
Mary, why were you so eager to visit Elizabeth? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until Joseph was free to travel with you? Wouldn’t the road have been safer, and the journey more enjoyable, with your betrothed?
What was it about Elizabeth that drew you to her side? The angel told you that she too had conceived miraculously. Was it because you wanted to share stories with someone who understood the excitement and joy you were experiencing? Perhaps it was because you felt you needed to witness the birth of this first miracle baby—both to help you prepare for your own and to see the one who would set the stage for your child’s mission.
Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. (Luke 1:42) With such strange words does your kinswoman greet you! Simply by hearing your voice, she knows that something new and exciting has happened to you. Moved by the Spirit, she senses that you too are with child—a child who will become her Lord. And she honors you for believing God’s promises and surrendering so fully to his plan.
How could she know all of this? How could she have seen so much grace in you, without having first heard the wonderful news?
Perhaps this is why you were drawn to Elizabeth. Here was a woman of deep faith, a woman whom you knew to be close to God and open to his Spirit. Here was an elder kinswoman whose wisdom, counsel, and insight could prove to be invaluable to you. Here was a woman who knew the pain of being childless and yet did not give in to bitterness or sadness. Perhaps Elizabeth could offer words to help you face the challenges that lie ahead.
How you must have treasured your relationship with Elizabeth! As you stood at the threshold of a new world—a world of new adventures, personal risk, and uncharted territory—you knew you weren’t standing alone. Elizabeth was your cousin, yes, but even more important, she was your sister in the Lord!
“Mary, teach us all the value of brotherhood and sisterhood. Show us that none of us has to stand alone.”
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