The responsorial psalm was spoken instead of sung, and perhaps that is why it reaonated with me more than normal, even as I sang it in my head!
"Lord, make us turn to You, let us see Your face, and we shall be saved." (Psalm 80: 8 O God of hosts, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.)
Perhaps because it spoken, perhaps because I am so eager to see the face of the little one growing inside me (soon please!), but I suddenly had so many passages of Scripture running through my mind that overwhelmed me with the beauty and wisdom of God's plan for salvation.
For everyone except for Christians, the idea of looking at God is proposterous, even blasphemous. Yet, how can we become like God, and live as He intends without gazing upon Him and comtemplating His Love?
Moses hid his face. The temple priests, the only ones able to enter the dwelling place of the most High, shielded their eyes.
Yet, we needed to look upon Him to be saved. How could we? In our imperfection, in our weakness, with our pride and our fallness gaze upon the face of Holiness and Love, of Awe and Majesty? How could we be saved?
So He came as a child, as a baby. No one can turn their eyes from a baby. Everyone looks at them, watches them, mesmerized by the miracle of new life, of creation.
In the movie Mary of Nazareth, this scene is so beautifully captured, when shepherds come to visit the Savior just after Mary has given birth. Jospeh seeks to intervene, but Mary stops him, as the shepherds pass the babe, God made flesh, from person to person, the first adoration of the King.
We hear Simeon voice the importance of sight as well.
"Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel. " Luke 2: 29-32
In this coming Christmas season, may we all learn to gaze upon the face of Love and so doing, may we be forever changed and saved by the God who came to save us.
