GOD'S WORD IN DAILY LIFE
22 December/Wednesday
1Sam 1:24-28/1Sam 2,1.4-5.6-7.8abcd/Luke 1,46-56
By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD
First Reading 1 Samuel 1:24-28
This is the child I prayed for: he is made over to the Lord.
When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’ There she left him, for the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord.
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies
as I rejoice in your saving help.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread,
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
It is the Lord who gives life and death,
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.
He brings men low and raises them on high.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
on them he has set the world.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Root of Jesse,
set up as a sign to the peoples,
come to save us
and delay no more.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 1:46-56
The Almighty has done great things for me
Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Reflection
The Gospel Reading presents the response of Mary to the inspired words of Elizabeth. It also informs us about how long Mary stayed with Elizabeth. The three months indicated in the story leads us to suppose that she assisted Elizabeth in her time of delivery before going back to Nazareth. Of greater significance in the Gospel Reading is the song or poem that Mary uttered in the presence of Elizabeth. Listening to what Elizabeth had to say about her, Mary acknowledges her own worth by affirming that although she occupies a humble position in society, God has honoured her and from now on all generations would call her blessed. We honour people by listening to them. Luke portrays this by presenting here the only section in all the Gospels in which women are given the opportunity to make long speeches.
In the Magnificat, Mary is bold enough to speak about controversial social issues. She affirms that God puts down rulers and lifts the humble or lowly. She also speaks of God feeding the hungry with good things but sending the rich away empty. These turnarounds of social status were not a welcome message to all but she spoke boldly about them. The Magnificat deals with theology, social ethics, politics and economy so it calls for careful study in order to discover the depth of the message which Mary conveys to us as we prepare for the birth of the son.
What Mary experienced for herself is also the mission of the son on earth. Jesus would humble himself for our sake so that he may lift us up and present us to the Father. His own life project that he would announce in the synagogue of Nazareth points to the type of social ethics he would promote through his mission. He would liberate those who suffer and restore the sight of those who are blind. May our meditation on the Magnificat help us encounter Christ in our own lives. May it help us transform our own outlook on social issues and learn to follow the way of the Gospels.