Sometimes it seems as though life is an endless pursuit. Pursuit of achievement, of purpose, of happiness, of fulfillment, of acceptance. Pursuit of love. Even in our spirituality we talk about 'finding' God - our pursuit of God.

Today's readings take this notion of our pursuit and remind us of an important Truth - a 'capital T' truth: God pursues us. From today's First Reading from Song of Songs to the Gospel, God pursues us. Song of Songs shares the tender voice of a lover pursuing his beloved: Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come. In today's Gospel from Luke, Mary is visiting her cousin, Elizabeth who is also expecting a child. Mary, the Immaculate Conception, is the perfect tabernacle carrying the Lord, Jesus to Elizabeth. Mary, to whom Jesus has come first, is now ushering Jesus' coming to those she encounters. She is the vehicle of Jesus' pursuit of us. 

Here, in today's Gospel, I believe we are Elizabeth in her humility that the mother of my Lord should come to me. I believe we are John the Baptist leaping for joy in Elizabeth's womb. As Jesus' birth nears, let us remember that Jesus comes to us, seeks us, pursues us. Therefore, let us arise. Let us leap for joy!