Presence

Dear Lord, thank you for always being present to me. May I now be present to you, as you speak to me through your Word during this time of prayer.

First Reading

1 Samuel 1:24-28 NRSVue

When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. She brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh, and the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the child to Eli. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

First Reading Reflection

Hannah’s joy in her child was heartfelt. She wanted to give her child to the service of God in her gratitude. It may seem strange, but it highlights that what we give to God in generosity enriches us. When we give freely and out of love, as Hannah did to the Lord, we are blessed a hundredfold. Hannah went on to have five more children! And her first son, whom she continued to love and support and visit, became a great prophet and priest for the people, and we continue to remember this family down through the ages, thanks to Hannah’s amazing faithfulness to God. Maybe this reading can inspire in us a spirit of giving without counting the cost, and we may be surprised at how the Lord blesses us…

Gospel

Luke 1:46-56 NRSVue

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid of his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Gospel Reflection

The Magnificat is the great prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God that Mary sang from her heart, drawing on many of her favourite verses from the Bible – we can imagine her and her cousin Elizabeth praying this together. It would become Mary’s daily prayer during her life, during the good as well as the bad times. She was able to praise God even when she did not understand what was happening to her Son. She praised the greatness of God and how He looks after the hungry and the humble. This is part of the daily evening prayer of the Church. Maybe we could make it our regular night prayer and allow some of the joy of Mary to fill our hearts, homes and lives, during this Christmas season and beyond…

Closing Prayer

Abba, Father, may I find more joy in giving than receiving; in being humble and small rather than powerful and influential; in being poor in spirit but rich in faith and trust; in being merciful rather than condemning; and in hungering for your justice and righteousness rather than being self-satisfied and “secure” in the things of this world. Amen.