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| Change on the horizon |
The First Book of Samuel describes how the prayers of Hannah are answered as her barrenness is removed by the birth of Samuel.
Her song of praise is the opening of the second chapter of this Book of Samuel.
* [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.2
In the Gospel, Luke chooses words for Mary to declare the joy in her Spirit and her praise to God for the wonders He has worked with her.
* [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.3
Sherrie Clutts DRE at St Patrick Catholic Church Traverse City, MI compares the songs of Hannah and Mary. Jack Wintz, OFM comments on God’s Mighty Reversals.
As was already noted in Hannah’s hymn of praise, the Lord “raises the needy from the dust.” So also in Mary’s Canticle, we see God lifting “up the lowly” and throwing “down the rulers from their thrones.” We see the same kind of reversals in Luke’s Gospel as a whole. Consider for example, Luke’s series of blessings and woes in his Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6: 20-26): “Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry” (6:25). Or consider Luke 14:11: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”4Fred Hanna comments that the love we see from Hannah and Mary is an example of how we love our children as they grow in, and with, the Lord. I also pause to think that my parents had the same love for me, just as Jesus does for us.
That worry is because of our love for our kids and the hope they will lead fruitful, blessed lives on earth with a love for the Lord. So did Hannah, who dedicated her son, Samuel, to a life of serving the Lord. Her life was blessed. And equally, today’s Gospel story presents the glory shown to Mary who would soon bring Jesus to us on earth. Her life also was blessed.5Don 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)6The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:46-56 declares what a beautiful model for all of us to follow! Like Mary, we too can choose to fix our eyes on Jesus and his truths in Scripture.
As we reflect on all that God has done for us, the desire to praise him and rejoice in his goodness to us will naturally well up in us. Then we will be able to pray, with Mary, “The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name” (Luke 1:49).7Friar Jude Winkler provides some of the backstory in the encounter between Eli and Hannah. The Magnificat is the hymn of the anawim who see from their poverty the reversal of fortune in the Promise. Friar Jude connects Ain Karim, Abu Ghosh (Kiriath Jearim in the time of David) and Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant.
A video by Neil Snyder shows the location (Abu Ghosh Once Known as Kiriath Jearim) where the Ark of the Covenant was kept between the time that it was sent away by the Philistines and the time that King David had it taken to Jerusalem.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, summarizes that contemplative consciousness is a whole new mind! It is a different “software and processing system” than most Westerners typically develop on our own, so we must be taught how to see in this way.
You gradually learn to hold everything—attractive and non-attractive alike—together in one accepting gaze. This is divine seeing. Contemplation has been well-described as “a long, loving look at the Real.” Contemplata in Latin means to gaze at something eagerly or with intense interest. Note that it is a deep looking more than a knee-jerk thinking (which is not really thinking at all, but usually narcissistic reacting).8Our reflection on the praise hymns of Hannah and Mary help develop our awareness of the thanksgiving generated within as we become conscious of the world as our blessing from God.
Reflections
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(n.d.). 1 Samuel, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 22, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/1
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(n.d.). 1 Samuel, chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 22, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/2
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(n.d.). Luke, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 22, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke
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(n.d.). The Canticle of Mary – Franciscan Media. Retrieved December 22, 2018, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/the-canticle-of-mary/
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(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 22, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 22, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
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(n.d.). 3rd Week of Advent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved December 22, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
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8
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(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 22, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
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