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Advent Weekday
Song of songs 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3:14-18A
Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Luke 1:39-45
Summary
Today?s readings promote the themes of anticipation and excitement. The Song
of Songs reading is the voice of a bridegroom speaking words of love to her
groom. The reading from Zephaniah speaks of the reunion between the Lord and
Israel. The reading from Luke is the story of Mary traveling to see her cousin
Elizabeth, and the joy she and her cousin feel when Elizabeth?s child, John (who
goes on to become the Baptist) leap in her womb.
Reflection
The Song of Songs is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is poem (or a se-
ries of love poems - scholars debate this point) in which each chapter speaks of
longing, desire and a love that transcends distance and obstacles. Throughout
history this book has been understood on two levels ? the literal and the alle-
gorical. In the literal reading, the poem is a conversation between a bride and her
bridegroom. In the particular passage for today we hear the voice of the bride,
growing in excitement and anticipation for reunion with her lover; she compares it
to the end of winter and the coming of spring. On the allegorical level, the Jewish
tradition reads this poem as a love song between God and Israel. In the Christian
tradition, the theologian Origen first introduced our allegorical interpretation to us
in the 4
th
century; he understood this poem to be a love song between Christ and
the Church. For us, the passage is clear: as the bride of Christ we are calling out
our exultation at the coming of Jesus just four days from now. The feeling of
preparation during Advent is giving way to feelings of mirth and joy, warmth, ex-
hilaration and unending hope for our own reunion with Christ, remembered, ex-
perienced and looked toward at Christmas.
Each reading today affirms this same message
of joy and excitement. Our Gospel reading
speaks of Elizabeth?s blessing of Mary. Eliza-
beth sees her cousin and the child in her womb
leaps with joy causing Elizabeth to declare to
