Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
In this season of Advent, we await the coming of our Savior, we anticipate the arrival of Emmanuel, God with Us. The Church helps us understand who it is we long for. Particularly in this week of the “O Antiphons,” we think about our Messiah as Wisdom, Adonai, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Dayspring, King of all Nations, Emmanuel. Today, we are reminded that Christ is our Lover! God is not only with us (Emmanuel); God desires to know us. God woos us so that we might know God more personally, more completely, more vulnerably. Let us seek to know him in greater, deeper, and more mysterious intimacy today.
“Hark! My lover – here he comes . . .” As you read this opening phrase from our first reading in Song of Songs, what stirs up within you? As you think about yourself as part of the Church, the Bride of Christ, have you ever stopped to think about the deep, rich intimacy that our Bridegroom desires with each of us? I invite you to personalize these words from our text, “My lover speaks; he says to me, ‘Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come . . . Arise my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! O my dove . . . Let me see you, let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.” At this moment in liturgical time, today, on this Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Our Messiah and Savior speaks these words to you and to me. Jesus, our Emmanuel, says to each of us, Let me see you, let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet, and you are lovely. Will you reveal yourself to him today? Will you expose the hidden parts of yourself to him and let him know you more? Will you arise and come to him?
Ed and I went to his niece’s wedding this past weekend. It was so beautiful to witness the love, excitement and anticipation exuding from the bride and bridegroom prior to the wedding. As she walked down the aisle during the wedding Mass, it was as if their pending Sacrament called to them and summoned them from that deep place of intimacy with God where we abide in any of the Sacraments. It was as if Christ called to both of them and said, “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!” During the homily the priest admonished them to hold nothing back from each other, but to give themselves fully to one another in every way in their Sacrament. Today, as we reflect upon Christ as our Lover, our Bridegroom, let us ask God for the graces we need to surrender ourselves more fully to God. Let us today, let go of anything that hinders us from giving ourselves fully, all of ourselves, nothing held back from God.
During Jesus’ time and prior, the bridegroom prepared for his wedding by building a room onto his father’s house. The wedding couldn’t take place until the new space was prepared and ready. The bride knew this process was happening, and that the wedding was eminent, but she did not know the day or the time. She waited, along with her attendants, in eager, excited, joyful anticipation of her bridegroom’s coming. Imagine the butterflies in her stomach as she awoke each day and wondered to herself, Could today be the day?! Suddenly, he comes, with the blast of a trumpet (shofar) and a procession of which he is the head. During this last week of Advent, we await our Messiah, and because of his Paschal Mystery, we know that we also await the second coming of our Bridegroom, our divine Lover. Today, might we wait with butterflies in our stomachs? Can we grow in our ability to anticipate God’s love at this level within ourselves?
In the alternate first reading from Zephaniah, we read these remarkable words, “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” Another translation says, “He will rejoice over you with singing.” Pause for a moment and imagine what it would be like to hear God rejoicing over you, singing over you. God’s Word is true for you. Take a moment and listen for this divine celebration taking place just for you.
Our Gospel tells us that John the Baptist leaped for joy in his mother’s womb when he recognized the arrival of Christ in Mary’s womb. As we grow in intimacy with God, as we awaken our souls to recognize God’s presence, we too, like John will leap for joy every time we encounter God. What is one thing you might do or practice today to grow in intimacy and keen awareness of Christ’s appearing?
The last stanza of our psalm declares, “Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield, For in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust.” Let us wait with butterflies today, eager for our Lover to appear!
-Elizabeth Wells