22 Dec 2011, Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Reading 1 1 Sm 1:24-28

In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
"Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD."
She left Samuel there.

Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
"He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage."
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel Lk 1:46-56

Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever."

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

Meditation: 1 Samuel 1:24-28

I prayed for this child… . Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:27-28)


Hannah had prayed fervently for the gift of a child, and God heard her prayer. Now she does something that seems difficult to understand: She leaves him with the priest Eli, offering him back to the Lord.

Why would Hannah give up a child she had so longed for? Be­cause she knew that she had given birth only because God had been gracious to her. She also understood that everything we have, everything we are, is a gift from God. Her of­fering of her son was the ultimate expression of her gratitude and love.

In only a few days, we will cel­ebrate the gift of the Christ child, God-made-man. God our Father sent his only Son to earth to be­come one of us. Like Hannah, he too gave up his only Son. Why would God do such a thing? It can only be understood through the lens of love. Only love would do such a thing.

How can we respond to such love? What will we say to our Fa­ther when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist? A simple “thank you” seems inadequate. But Hannah and another mother, Mary, can show us the way. We can freely give ourselves to the Lord.

It’s not easy to give our lives to the Lord. We may wonder: What will God ask me to do? Will I have to part with something I treasure? Just what will God do with this gift of self that I am giving to him?

Here is the best part of the Chris­tian life: When you give your life to the Lord, he takes it, fills it with his grace, and gives it back to you transformed. He makes your life overflow with love and joy, with peace and purpose. And as a result, you end up happier and more ful­filled than you ever were—even if you are called into a new and de­manding area of service, even as you take up the challenge to love your enemies and pray for those who per­secute you. That’s what the love of God can do!

So don’t hold back. Even if you’ve done it many times before, give your life to Jesus this Christ­mas. And watch to see how he gives it back to you.

“Jesus, take my life. Let it be yours completely.”