Daily Gospel

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."


Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
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"Behold the King is coming, let us hasten to meet our Savior" (Advent liturgy) Solomon put it very well when he said: "As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" (Prv 25,25). He certainly brings good news who announces the coming of the Savior, the reconciliation of the world and the good things of the world to come. “How welcome the feet of them that preach peace and bring good tidings!” (Is 52,7)...

Such messengers are waters of refreshment and a draught of saving wisdom to a soul athirst for God. For such a soul, the herald of the coming and of the other mysteries of the Savior, draws and proffers water “with joy from the springs of the Savior” (Is 12,3). And so it seems to me that the soul is heard to reply to the messenger... in the words of Elisabeth. It has drunk of the same spirit as she has and says: "Whence is this that my Lord should come to me? Behold, as soon as your salutation sounded in my ears, the Spirit in my heart leapt for joy, earnestly desiring to hurry off to meet God its Savior."

And really, brethren, we should go to meet the coming Christ with joy in our heart... “O my Savior and my God! (Ps 43[42],5) what an honor that you should have saluted your servants. How much the greater that you should have saved them?... You have given us salvation not only by greeting with the kiss of peace in your Incarnation those you had previously saluted with words of peace, but, more, by effecting their salvation through your death on the Cross.” Let us therefore rise up with joyful eagerness and hasten to welcome our Savior. Let us adore him and salute him at a distance, crying out to him: "Deliverance, Lord, deliverance! Lord, grant us the victory! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Ps 118[117],25-26).

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