In the liturgical calendar, the Tuesday following the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost offers a rich tapestry of scripture for reflection, drawing from the Song of Songs (2:8-14) and the Gospel of Luke (1:39-47). These passages resonate deeply with themes of divine love, joy, and the anticipation of the Messiah, invoking the spiritual insights of the Church Fathers to deepen our understanding.
Song of Songs 2:8-14: The Voice of the Beloved
The Song of Songs is often interpreted by the Church Fathers as an allegory of the love between Christ (the Bridegroom) and His Church (the Bride). In Song 2:8-14, the Bride exults in the arrival of her Beloved, who comes “leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.” St. Gregory the Great sees in this a symbol of Christ’s Incarnation and His crossing over the “mountains” of pride and the “hills” of sin to reach His people.
The call to “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away” (v. 10) is a poignant invitation to spiritual awakening. St. Bernard of Clairvaux interprets this as Christ’s call to the soul, urging it to rise from the slumber of sin and embrace the new life He offers. The imagery of the blossoming earth, with “the flowers appearing on the earth” and “the voice of the turtledove heard in our land,” echoes the renewal brought by Christ’s redemption.
Luke 1:39-47: The Visitation and Mary’s Magnificat
In the Gospel of Luke, we encounter the Visitation, where Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is carrying John the Baptist. This meeting of the two holy women is filled with the Holy Spirit’s joy and prophetic significance. As Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, her child leaps in her womb, and she is filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaiming, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v. 42).
St. Ambrose of Milan reflects on the profound humility and faith of Mary in her swift obedience to the angel’s message, traveling to assist her cousin. This act of charity exemplifies Mary’s role as the Theotokos, the God-bearer, who brings Christ to others even before His birth.
Mary’s response, the Magnificat (vv. 46-55), is a profound hymn of praise and thanksgiving. St. Augustine marvels at how Mary’s soul “magnifies the Lord,” not by making God greater, but by revealing Him more fully through her humility and faith. Her recognition of God’s mighty deeds—”He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly”—speaks to the radical reversal of the world’s values through the coming of Christ.
Connecting the Readings: Anticipation and Joy
Both readings converge on themes of anticipation and joy. The Bride in the Song of Songs eagerly awaits her Beloved, and Mary, bearing the Christ Child, brings joy to Elizabeth and the unborn John. The Fathers of the Church draw us into this divine romance, where Christ’s coming transforms and renews.
For us today, these passages invite a similar awakening and response. We are called to rise and meet Christ, who leaps across the mountains of our hearts to draw us into His embrace. In the spirit of Mary, we are to bear Christ to the world through acts of love and humility, magnifying the Lord in our lives.
Let us, therefore, in the spirit of this liturgical season, reflect on the great mystery of Christ’s coming, both in His Incarnation and His presence in our lives. As we echo the joy of the Visitation and the love song of the Bride, may our hearts leap with the same fervor, and may our souls magnify the Lord, rejoicing in God our Savior.