THE JOY OF ENCOUNTER
Introduction
Few things, if any, are more beautiful on the human and the divine level than the encounter between persons. An encounter is a great joy and grace. The first reading speaks of the encounter between a suitor and the young woman he loves; this is probably an image of the love between God and Israel. In the gospel, Elizabeth encounters Mary; even the unborn John the Baptist encounters the Saviour and his mother. Deeper than meetings between people in business, science, politics, or their jobs, are the understanding, love and sharing of real human encounters. This is the kind of encounter that awaits us with the Lord on Christmas and in this Eucharist. Encounters are even deeper when God is present in them.
Opening Prayer
God, we tend to lose ourselves
in the bustle and stir of the day,
in our work and our petty worries.
Give us the freshness of heart
to look for the things that matter,
those that make our lives deeply human
and at the same time, open us
to your world and to your values.
Make us long to encounter you with joy,
that we may discover again the quality
of gratuitous giving, of respect,
and of carefree self-forgetting love,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
1 Reading: SONG OF SONGS 2:8-14
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! “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! “O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, Let me see you, let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.”
Responsorial PSALM 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
R. (1a; 3a) Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness. R.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. R.
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. R.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: LUKE 1:39-45
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.”
Commentary
Believing God’s Words
Elizabeth praises Mary for having truly believed that God’s words would come true, unlike her own husband, Zechariah who couldn’t come to such belief initially. When we pray, do we really believe in its efficacy? There is a story about a bunch of parishioners who took to non-stop prayer vigils before a bar that was soon to open near their church. They prayed that the bar project would not happen. On the eve of its inauguration, the building collapsed inexplicably, and so was the project cancelled. The owner of the bar, an atheist, filed a case, claiming that the collapse happened due to the prayer of the parishioners and therefore, seeking damages from them. The parishioners counter-argued that the collapse was not due to their prayer. Imagine: an atheist who believed in the power of prayer, and a bunch of believers who argued against the efficacy of prayer! Blessed, indeed, was Mary; Blessed, indeed, are those who believe God’s words.
Intercessions
– That the deeper coming of Christ to us on Christmas fill us all with gratitude and joy, we pray:
– That God may give us the gift of having many friends, we pray:
– That we may learn to appreciate people and rejoice in their gifts and talents, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, loving Father,
in this Eucharist you encounter us again
through your Son, Jesus Christ.
In these signs of bread and wine,
may we really meet him
from person to person.
Let him set our hearts afire with his Spirit,
that we give up our self-made securities
and dare with him to become
your people and your world
in him the Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
God, our Father,
we have encountered your Son
in his word and his body.
Let him go with us now
to speak through us your word
of courage and lasting hope
and to make us his body to the world,
that every encounter among people
may from now on become
a blessing and a grace and a joy,
and a commitment to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
Blessing
The coming of Christ has brought joy to the world. With him, there is hope. No more room for sadness and fear! Even the cross can lead to joy! May Almighty God make you people of joy and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!