December 21, 2018
Blessed are you
Dear friends in Christ, our first reading for today (The Song of Solomon 2:8-14) is a love song, that describes the visit of a loved one to the bride. There is in this passage, so much excitement in the air. The bride uses the sweetest words to show her expectation and love. “Behold he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills…Behold there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows…” Today’s liturgy uses this passage, to refer to the visit of Mary to Elizabeth and by implication, the visit of Jesus to John the Baptist, in this visit to the house of Zechariah. The language of marriage has always been used to describe the relationship of God and Israel. While John could represent the nation, it is a nation in wait for the husband. As the prophets rightly describe it, God is here the husband, and his people the bride, just as, the Church is the bride of Christ. Like the song of this bride, Christians are called to rise to action in love. To welcome God into their homes and lives. “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is comely.” Just as this bride longs for the coming of her lover, so also every Christian must long for the coming of Christ.
Today’s gospel (Luke 1:39-45) describes the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. A journey she made in haste to the hill country, in the city of Judah. The visit brought so much joy and happiness. To her, the angel had revealed what exactly has happened to Elizabeth, and here she has come to offer some help to the pregnant old lady. Apart from what she heard of Elizabeth, there was a connection beyond the physical but something felt by the mothers too. Something that was captured very eloquently in the words of Elizabeth. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is it that this is granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” Mary’s child is the fulfilment of the hopes of the people for a redeemer. Elizabeth could feel that instantly. She praised Mary for believing that the words spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled. With Jesus, we are Mary’s children, Christmas is a reminder that God is with us, the presence of the Lord brings joy and happiness. Let us praise him with all our hearts.
Let us pray: Lord, banish the darkness of sorrow from us so that we may truly rejoice in the birth of our Saviour. Amen. May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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