The Gospel Acclamation can easily slide right by us during Mass. We are used to saying singing “Alleluia” (or “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ...” during Lent), but we might not pay much attention to the Scripture verse that follows.
Yet these passages are designed to complement the readings and lead us into a deeper understanding and a higher worship. We would do well, then, to reflect on the meaning of the Gospel Acclamation each week and even adopt it as a prayer and point of meditation for the whole week.
For the First Sunday of Advent, cycle C, the Gospel Acclamation is
Show us, Lord, Your love; and grant us Your salvation.
During Advent, we strive to open our hearts to the Lord in new ways, fuller ways, deeper and more loving ways, than every before. We grow in our longing for Him. We recognize His coming to us in our experiences, in our prayers, in the Eucharist, even as we wait for the celebration of His birth at Christmas and as we beg Him to come again to usher in a new Heaven and a new earth.
Yet in our striving and our longings, we often fail. We fall, and we sin, and we forget God's love. This is why we cry out with today's acclamation. We ask our Lord to show us His love. He does this constantly, but we need to open our eyes to see it and our hearts to experience it, and this, too, requires grace. God's love is infinite; we should desire to be immersed in it and to allow it to flow in and through us.
We also need our Lord's salvation. We need His grace and mercy and forgiveness at every moment. We cannot save ourselves, no matter how we try, yet we must open ourselves to the salvation Jesus Christ has won for us and longs to give us. God wills that all people be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). But we must will that, too, for God has given us free will. May we pray this acclamation with sincere and open hearts.
Show us, Lord, Your love; and grant us Your salvation.
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