MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT - 2020

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Emmanuel,

our king and lawgiver,
come and save us,
Lord our God.

SONG OF SONGS 2:8-14

My Soul's Beloved,

How is it possible for so many in the world, especially Christians, to be so hard and cold that it ignores the God of Love? It is deaf to divinity's song of infinite love, and blind to Love Incarnate who woos, cajoles, and seduces His beloved with words that are sweeter than honey - a Lover who gives all, laying down His life for His beloved in order to raise her up to Himself.

You come in search of us, You dog our footsteps, You remain closer to us than our shadow. You lift us up, You stretch out Your hand to steady us, and when we have no strength to go on You lift us up and carry us. You give us a song in the midst of sorrow, laughter in the midst of tears, give us joy in the midst of mourning. You lift us higher than the wings of an eagle and give us repose in Your Sacred Heart, that place of sweet, and quiet rest where we every desire and need is satisfied completely.

No one loves as You do, Beloved, and yet we are stubborn and indifferent even though none can love us as wholeheartedly and perfectly as You do.  

Come then, my love,

my lovely one, come.
My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock,
in the coverts of the cliff,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet
and your face is beautiful.’

PSALM 33:2-3,11-12,20-21

My Soul's Beloved,

The joy of this season of Christmas is like young love, it is new, exciting, full of wonderful possibilities. It is like starting on a wonderful journey with the expectation that only great things will happen. It is a time for singing, rejoicing, dancing, coming together with loved ones, exchanging the gift of ourselves to each other in friendship and kindness. It is a time to give thanks for this wonderful new thing that God is beginning in the world and in the hearts of all who receive Him.

This is the season for fresh starts. It is a time for knowing that God has a plan that He desires us to embrace wholly that we may have life. Who can fail to have room in the heart for a beautiful baby? A baby brings with it hope with so many wonderful possibilities. This Baby is a chance for a do-over. An opportunity to shift the gaze from ourselves and to look out to another who makes Himself helpless so we will not be afraid to pick Him up, caress Him, kiss Him, and hold Him tenderly and press Him to our heart.

Easter is the season where love has reached maturity. It is a deep, fulfilled love after a time of separation and intense and unimaginable sorrow. But Christmas is the fulfillment after a time of joyous waiting, longing, wooing, and being wooed. It is a time of total wonder - the world is astounded at the goodness of divinity, of immensity, who makes Himself little for our sakes. 

This Christmas may we accept Your invitation to come in from the cold and receive, accept, and embrace You with all the fervor of our soul.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
In him do our hearts find joy.
We trust in his holy name.

LUKE 1:39-45

My Soul's Beloved,

After Mary gave her consent to God to conceive and bear His Son, the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her and You took flesh in her womb. From then on she was as surely one with God as You are one with Your Father and the Holy Spirit. 

Once Mary conceived You her life was no longer her own but Yours to direct, instruct, and command for as long as she drew breath. Prompted by You, she set out quickly to visit her cousin  Elizabeth who was pregnant and in her sixth month. Being advanced in years she would surely need Mary's help and service and Mary went to her quickly and joyfully. 

Luke narrates vividly all that occurred when the cousins met. Entering Zechariah's house her young voice calls out with a glad greeting to Elizabeth, who on hearing her is filled with the Holy Spirit and with a loud cry says, ‘Of all women, you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.' She is humbled by Mary's visit recognizing that she is the mother of God. Elizabeth was the first to give her that title. 

Just the sound of Mary's voice caused the child in Elizabeth's womb to leap for joy and she, prompted by the Holy Spirit confirms Mary's blessedness which is so unlike her husband

Zechariah's for 'she believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

Let us always have this confidence that just the sound of Mary's voice in heaven causes joy, for she is 'The Cause of our Joy' in truth. All our prayers to her will be heard and answered by God. You can refuse her nothing for she refused You nothing. If we believe and embrace all God's promises to us, we too like Mary will be blessed.