Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Thursday 3rd Week of Advent
December 21, 2006
Thursday 3rd Week of Advent - Yr II
SONG OF SONGS 2:8-14
Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains,
bounding over the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice. My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my
darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of
singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig
tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their
fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." My
dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the
mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice
is sweet, and your face is lovely.
LUKE 1:39-45
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country
of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she
exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you
will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the
baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that
what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
REFLECTION
The readings in today's Mass are explosively joyous. The first reading
is a love song taken from the Song of Songs, which itself is a lyrical
love poem, an allegory describing the love God had for Israel and
Israel for God. It's a story of young love, as one commentator puts it,
"a thrilling, absorbing, ardent affection." It describes God's
relationship with Israel in its early days. It's a song of joy, the
exuberant, exciting joy that characterizes young love that fills to
overflowing the hearts of young lovers.
Mary, in today's Gospel, was probably still in awe because of what had
happened to her. It was a joyous awe. Her child was growing within her.
Through this child something great was to happen to her country. Her
joy was about to bubble over in her great song of joy, her Magnificat.
Mary had to find someone else she could share her joy with. Elizabeth
was also miraculously pregnant. Perhaps she'd be able to understand
her. So Mary rushed off on a journey of about 150 kilometers to bring
her joy to her cousin and to ease the burden of a pregnancy her
cousin's aging body was carrying.
Elizabeth greets Mary with a joyous embrace and a joyous stirring of
the baby in her womb. Part of Elizabeth's joy surely must have been the
knowledge that Mary's arrival would mean for her relief from many
chores. Mary would do the chores herself and allow Elizabeth the luxury
of accepting the growing weariness, as the burden in her womb grew
heavier with each passing day.
The child, John - who later at the Jordan would preach the wrath of an
angry God and the terror of divine judgment and who would condemn both
lowly and mighty - leapt in his mother's womb for joy.
And our joy? Is our love of Jesus as exuberant as is the joy of the
young lovers in the Song of Songs, as the joy of Mary and Elizabeth and
John?
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
- for the healing and speedy recovery of Teri.
- for the healing of Techie Paner.
- thanksgiving for the good health and guidance of the family of
Manny Alviar.
- for the speedy recovery and healing of Myra.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Marcus Ng
- In Memoriam (+): Mary Yang
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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