Blessed are You!

Hark! my lover--here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!

The First Reading today is taken from the Song of Songs.  This is the beginning of Chapter 2.  The interesting aspect about this text is the two levels it is written on.  It is a love poem in which a mn describes his desire for his spouse, or even spouse to be.  But it is also a poem in which God describes his desire for his beloved - Israel.  The comparison gives us pause as we consider that God's intense love for all of humanity.  God seeks us out so that we might be saved and enjoy His peace and joy. 

The story of the Visitation helps us to understand the faithfulness of Mary as we are told that she dared to believe in God's promise.  Mary and Elizabeth give us an indication that God' plan of salvation is extra-ordinary, though using ordinary human vessals.  As the Magnificat reminds us, God lifts us up out of our lowliness.  More so like with Mary, God pours his holiness into us.  These sacred moments call to mind for us that God desires the entire world to be sanctified and to be made holy. 

The birth of the child points out that God wants newnesss of life in this covenant.  We who live in a culture of death which seems to be apathetic to life can take stock in the unserstading that God is doing some thing new when it comes time to bring salvation to humaity.  Like Mary and Elizabeth hopefully we are able and witness the love of the Father for all men and women.  More so we are challenged to share all that we have seen and heard.