Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
3RD WEEK OF ADVENT
Psalter: Week 3 / (Violet/White)
St. Peter Canisius, priest & doctor
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21: Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
1st Reading: Song of Songs 2: 8-14 (or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a)
The voice of my lover! Behold he comes, springing across the mountains, jumping over the hills, like a gazelle or a young stag.
Now he stands behind our wall, looking through the windows, peering through the lattice.
My lover speaks to me,
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one!
Come, the winter is gone, the rains are over.
Flowers have appeared on earth; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard.
The fig tree forms its early fruit, the vines in blossom are fragrant.
Arise, my beautiful one, come with me, my love, come.
O my dove in the rocky cleft, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice.
Your face—how lovely!
Your voice—how sweet!”
Gospel: Luke 1: 39-45
Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”
REFLECTION:
“Mary discerned well.”
We have been previously challenged to be responsive to the good news being proclaimed, cooperating with God’s salvific plan. Thus, we are called to be more discerning now and to be more zealous in our sense of service, like Mary.
After Mary has given her fiat to God’s divine plan during the annunciation of the birth of Jesus, she set out with haste to a town of Judah to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Mary for sure also served Elizabeth in her stay in Zechariah’s house.
The Greek phrase meta spoudēs, means “with haste.” It may also mean “with zeal.” Zealousness in terms of service can only be exercised after a well-discerned decision-making.
Mary discerned well the will of God for her. After a good discernment, she said her fiat and cooperated with God’s divine plan. Mary must have also recognized that she herself had her own struggles, but her discernment must have led her to realize that her cousin Elizabeth was also in need of her help and companionship. Hence, Mary went to her with haste and served her zealously.
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