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Monday of the FourthWeek of Advent
1 Samuel 1:24-28
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD
Luke 1:46-56
Summary
In the first reading, Hannah the mother of Samuel, dedicates the new
life of her child to the Lord. This offering is in thanksgiving for the
gift of her son and a sign of her indebtedness to the Lord.
The responsorial psalm, also from this same book, is an exultant decla-
ration of the Lord's victory in all the Lord's actions and doings. "He
raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the
poor....".
In the Gospel, Mary sings of the glory of the Lord in a resounding
statement of hope and praise. "...the Almighty has done great things
for me, and holy is his Name."
Reflection
All of the readings are resounding statements of accomplished fact, of
gratitude, and of hope. And two of them are made by women.
There's something extraordinary going on here.
These women are life-bearers.They sing of the new lives they've been
given, lives that are critically important to our Salvation Story. Their
gratitude is the heart of their prayer.
Is it not so that we all, men and women
both, are life bearers of God's Word? Is it
not so that one of our truest prayers
flows from thanksgiving? I keep remem-
bering the healing of the ten by Jesus,
and that only one turned around to give
him thanks and praise. Only one realized