The Song of Songs chanted a rhyme, “The rains are over, the flowers appear, the season of glad songs and the cooing of turtledoves are heard.” This phrase evokes in us hopeful sentiments for the beautiful transformation of the season. It is also a time to come out and seize the graciousness of the moment, the air that we breathe, the sound that we hear, the sight that we see, a sublime presence is approaching. Perhaps Advent is precisely the season to hasten our encounter with Christ – truly momentous and richly different from last year.

Visiting others and being visited by friends and relatives have been a common feature of the season. What would our visit by others to our house be like? Hospitality is a necessary virtue of Advent. Be prepared to be visited by the Lord of the season. Greetings are inevitably part of hospitality.

Mary, carrying a joy within her over hills and plains, hastened to visit Elizabeth who is also with child. Like the Archangel Gabriel who greeted her, Mary uttered her joyous greeting to Elizabeth, filling the whole house of Zechariah. Such joyous greetings reverberate that Elizabeth responded to the greetings by saying that even the child within her womb is touched by such joy. From the womb of women to the house of Zechariah, God’s sanctifying presence in the Holy Spirit is animating the divine and human greetings. Greet with sincerity.