“And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” - Revelation 22:17
Kempton New Church

December
15

“The Babe Leaped in My Womb for Gladness”

And° Mary stood up in those days, and went with haste into the hill-country, into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elizabeth. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb°; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she exclaimed with a great voice and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb°. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the voice of thy greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb° for gladness. And happy is she who has believed that there shall be a performance of those things which were spoken to her from the Lord. (Luke 1:39–45)

Love consists in this, that its own should be another’s; to feel the joy of another as joy in oneself, that is loving. (Divine Love and Wisdom 47)

One can see how great the delight of heaven must be from the fact that it is the delight of everyone in heaven to share his delights and blessings with others; and as such is the character of all that are in the heavens it is clear how immeasurable is the delight of heaven. (Heaven and Hell 399)

The life of charity consists in thinking kindly of another, and in wishing him well; and in perceiving joy in oneself from the fact that others also are saved. (Arcana Cœlestia 2284:5)

[The Lord’s] joy is beyond comprehension, because it belongs to the Infinite. … That there is also infinite joy on account of the reception of good by those who are in heaven and the church. (Arcana Cœlestia 8672)

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