ST. PETER CANISIUS, PRIEST & DOCTOR - THURSDAY OF THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - 2023

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,

Thank You for loving me as extravagantly as You do. I know I am undeserving of such glorious and passionate love - so great is Your love for me that You lay down Your life so I may live with You forever. How good You are, O Lord, my God, even when I turn away from You, hide from You, forget You, sin against You, You still pursue me. You are ready to forgive me and to restore our friendship.

You see me as Your sister, Your spouse, a daughter of the Father and You keep me as the apple of Your eye. Thank You for Your constant assurance in Your Word that You will never leave me, never forsake me, even when I run away from You to seek happiness apart from You.

Thank You for seeing me as I am and loving me anyway. Thank You for desiring my love. Thank You for keeping Your gaze on me constantly and thank You for Your faithfulness in loving me. Your love does not depend on anything I can give You for You need nothing from me - You are complete in Yourself and yet You desire my poor, unworthy love. 

In response to Your loving invitation to me, I come to You and I wish to confess my love for You. Lord, I give You my whole being freely and unconditionally. I give You my will and I ask You here and now to come and take possession of me. Take all of me, my Lord and in return give me all of Yourself. I worship and adore You. Grant that I may never separate myself from You through sin. I am yours and all I have and am are Yours forever.

‘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 32(33):2-3,11-12,20-21 ©

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,

with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new,
play loudly, with all your skill.

His own designs shall stand forever,

the plans of his heart from age to age.
They are happy, whose God is the Lord,
the people he has chosen as his own.

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.

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; O sing him a song that is new.

LUKE 1:39-45 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

With You O Lord, in Mary's womb, Pope Benedict tells us that Your Holy Spirit was already directing her in a new way. His exact words are: 'The Holy Spirit who makes the Son of God present in Mary's flesh, enlarged her heart to God's dimensions and urged her along the way of charity.' 

Judah means praise, and Mary set out quickly to visit her cousin Elizabeth so together they could praise God for the marvels that He had done in both their lives. Grant us this grace O Lord that when we come together as a family or a group of friends we may use every opportunity to give You praise. As soon as Elizabeth heard the sound of Mary's voice the baby in her womb leaped for joy and both she and her infant were filled with the Holy Spirit. At the Spirit's prompting, we are told:

She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

For the duration of Mary's visit, the Kingdom of God was present in Zechariah's home. One can only imagine the conversations that the two cousins had as they praised God present in the flesh in Mary's womb. They spent those three months in perpetual adoration of God in Mary, God's living tabernacle. 

Lord Jesus, I too wish to be Your living sanctuary. Come into my heart and remain with me not just when I receive You in Holy Communion but until I draw my last breath and I am truly one with You eternally.