The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to expect to encounter the Divine in our everyday relationship with people and Creation.
In the reading from the First Book of Samuel, Hannah Presents Samuel to the Lord.
* [1:22] Leave him there forever: a Qumran manuscript adds “I will give him as a nazirite forever”; it interprets v. 11 to mean that Hannah dedicates Samuel under a nazirite vow (cf. Nm 6:4–5). (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
The response from the First Book of Samuel is Hannah’s Prayer.
* [2:1–10] Hannah appeals to a God who maintains order by keeping human affairs in balance, reversing the fortunes of the arrogant, who, like Peninnah, boast of their good fortune (vv. 1, 3, 9) at the expense of those like Hannah who receive less from the Lord. Hannah’s admission places her among the faithful who trust that God will execute justice on their behalf. The reference “his king ... his anointed” (v. 10) recalls the final sentence of the Book of Judges and introduces the kingship theme that dominates the Books of Samuel. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)
The hymn from the Gospel of Luke is Mary’s Song of Praise.
* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker. (Luke, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
Julie Kalkowski thinks of all the times she promised God one thing or another if a particular thing in her life occurred.
When I think of my prayer life, I have to admit I most turn to God when I or a loved one is in trouble. I seem to spend much of my time asking God for things rather than thanking or “proclaiming the greatness of the Lord.” Which is what Mary does in today’s gospel as she comes to term to what is happening to her. The phrase “the Almighty has done great things for me” hit home with me. During this Advent season of watching and waiting, it struck me how blessed my life has been.
In these final days of Advent I plan to think about all the blessing God has showered me with, and to wholeheartedly thank God for such abundance. As we continue to watch and wait for the birth of our Savior, may we all see the ‘great things” the Lord has done for us. Sharing these blessings with others who are struggling is a concrete way I can “proclaim the greatness of the Lord.” (Kalkowski, 2022)
Don Schwager quotes “Mary preaches the new kingdom,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).
"[Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard (Luke 146-55). Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: 'My soul bless the Lord.' Elizabeth had said, 'Blessed is she who has believed,' and Mary replied, 'From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.' It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. 'She returned home after three months,' so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.28) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:46-56 asks how did Mary remain convinced that she was blessed? Luke tells us, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). She wasn’t afraid to question God and ask for greater understanding. And as she waited for his answers, she clung to what she knew: God had chosen her for a special purpose, and he would continue to hold her in his loving care.
Each of us is truly blessed. Like Mary, elements of that blessing leap out at us, and we respond with joy. But also like Mary, there are many moments when we have trouble discerning that blessing. Yet God is still with us through it all—and that’s the greatest of all blessings.
Take a moment right now to thank God for the ways he has blessed you. Then think of a blessing that didn’t look like a blessing at first. Surely he will always care for you!
“Lord, you have done great things for me. I am blessed indeed.” (Meditation on Luke 1:46-56, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes how Hannah fulfills her vow by dedicating Samuel (God Listens) to the Lord. The Magnificat of Mary is resonant with Luke’s understanding of Mary as Queen of the anawim. Friar Jude connects the three months Mary, the New Ark Of the Covenant, spent with Elizabeth to the period that David allowed the Ark of the Covenant to rest across the valley from Ein Karim in Abu Gosh.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Father Greg Boyle, the Founder of Homeboy Industries, which offers jobs, services, and dignity to former gang members. He has witnessed the healing that comes from having reverence for reality—which is where we bump into God.
I always liked that Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s name “Tekakwitha” means “she who bumps into things.” What if holiness is a contact sport and we are meant to bump into things? This is what it means to embrace a contemplative, mystical way of seeing wholeness. It gives a window into complexity and keeps us from judging and scapegoating and demonizing. If we allow ourselves to “bump into things,” then we quit measuring. We cease to Bubble-Wrap ourselves against reality. We stop trying to “homeschool” our way through the world so that the world won’t touch us. Hard to embrace the world . . . if we are so protective and defensively shielded from it. A homie told me once, “It’s taken me all these years to see the real world. And once ya see it—there’s only God there.” (Rohr, 2022)
We respond to encounters with the Divine in our praise of the magnificent relationships through which we are guided by the Spirit to fullness of life.
References
Kalkowski, J. (2022, December 21). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/122222.html
Luke, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1
Meditation on Luke 1:46-56. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/22/558537/
1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/1?24
1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/2?1
Rohr, R. (2022, December 22). The Fullness of Our Humanity — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-fullness-of-our-humanity-2022-12-22/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Joyful Expectation of the Messiah. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec22
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