FIRST READING:
A reading from the Song of Solomon (Songs of Solomon 2:8-14)
Behold, my beloved comes leaping upon the mountains.
The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my dove, my fair one, and come away; for behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning has come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs; and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 33 :2-3.11-12.20-21 (R. la, 3a)
R/. Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;
O sing him a song that is new.
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 skilfully, with shouts of joy. R/.
The designs of the Lord stand forever,
the plans of his heart from age to age.
Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he has chosen as his heritage R/.
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
In him do our hearts find joy.
We trust in his holy name. R/.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. Alleluia. O Emmanuel, our King and Law giver!
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1:39-45)
“Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
Have you ever noticed the special quality in children to identify goodness? Anytime they see good people they run to them and can easily sleep in their arms. On the others hand, when they see bad people, they are scared. The meeting of Mary and Elizabeth proves this. Goodness invites while evil repels. John the Baptist and Christ, though still in their respective mothers’ wombs, are attracted due to the outstanding qualities of their mothers and their own personal greatness.
Lord, give us the grace to live like little children, to be able to do good and avoid evil, since that is the only sure way to heaven.