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| A vista of hasta |
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
Our Lectionary offers a choice of first readings; one from Song of Songs; the other from the prophet Zephaniah. During the last two years I have focused on the erotic imagery of Song of Songs; this year I direct your attention and mine to the equally delightful image of Zephaniah’s “Daughter Zion.”
The passage accompanies our gospel passage from Saint Luke, Mary’s arrival in Jerusalem and the house of her cousin Elizabeth. Both women represent faithful Jerusalem, the holy city. One is elderly and barren, but suddenly with child! The other is young and incredibly fruitful; she too is with child, although a virgin! Their unexpected fertility is an unmistakable sign of God’s abiding, merciful presence.
Jerusalem had ample reason to expect infertility. Called to be the Holy City of God, the city was too much like other provincial capitals of the Roman empire. Although it boasted one of the most beautiful temples in the world, which was consecrated to the God of the Jewish People, there were dozens of other buildings, rooms and corners dedicated to pagan deities. These had been built by foreign merchants, tradesmen and scholars who found the city congenial to their alien beliefs.
Nor were the morals of the city exceptional. The poor were hungry; disabled begged for food; widows and orphans suffered destitution. Some women, boys and girls survived by prostitution. Slaves were everywhere. The wicked prospered as the honest struggled. Government officials colluded with corrupt businessmen who collaborated with religious leaders, each feathering his own nest, while God’s poor, the anawim, hoped to share with the dogs the scraps that fell from banquet tables.
Jerusalem was like every major city in human history, except that God had chosen it for his own purposes. True to his promises and his purposes, he would restore its innocence and its fertility in the persons of Elizabeth and Mary.
O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against you,he has turned away your enemies;Mary, who is the New Jerusalem, invites us to Penance because she signifies God’s purifying, healing mercy. As we turn back to the Lord during Advent God restores our innocence and makes us whole. And more -- God makes us worthy to be His Holy People.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.