SG 2: 8-14
ZEP 3:14-18A
PS 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21
LK 1: 39-45
“Hark! my lover–here he comes” is the first line from today’s first reading found in the Song of Songs. The narrator is excited to see her lover and uses these words to describe his upbeat demeanor upon arrival: springing, leaping, gazing, and peering. He’s made it across the mountains and hills and now sees through the windows and lattices. All this work and suffering just to see his lover. Jesus does the same for us. He suffers so that we can live our lives in peace and praise of him.
This is why the Responsorial Psalm proclaims, “Sing to him a new song.” Our voices, filled with joy and love for Jesus, show our praise for him. At the end of this story the lover tells the woman, “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!” He wants her with him because she is lovely and he wants to see her and hear her voice. The baby Jesus is coming and as soon as he arrives he, too, wants to see us by his side and hear all of our voices. There are several ways we can do this as we approach the end of the Advent season. For example, at the most fundamental level, we can take the time and effort to pray and consistently tell God about our lives. I like that this method does not have to be formal. I often find myself walking back to my dorm room late in the evening. I like to use that time to tell God about my day, just like I would tell a friend walking beside me, and listen to God’s voice in the sounds of the water fountains and the wind brushing up against the trees. We are fortunate to live on a beautiful and well-maintained green campus. In addition to prayer, we can also experience God and see his works in the mass. In the span of just one week we have the Christmas mass and celebration on Friday, December 25th, the weekly Sunday mass on Sunday, December 27th, and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God mass on Thursday, January 1st. These are all wonderful opportunities to see Jesus over the holiday season. Thus, we can pray and go to mass to hear and see Jesus in our lives.
Alex Mikhailov is a sophomore studying Economics and International Studies.
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