20211222 MAGNIFICAT
22 December, 2021, Wednesday, 4th Week of Advent
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.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
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.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
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.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
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.
My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Root of Jesse,
set up as a sign to the peoples,
come to save us
and delay no more.
Alleluia!
Or: |
Alleluia, alleluia!
King of the peoples
and cornerstone of the Church,
come and save man,
whom you made from the dust of the earth.
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.
MAGNIFICAT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 SAMUEL 1:24-28; LUKE 1:46-56]
The canticle of praise sung by our Lady in today’s gospel is one of the most beautiful hymns of the Church which we sing every evening at Vespers. It has become the expression of our thanksgiving to God for the wonders He has done in our lives. In truth, this hymn was not composed by Mary but it originated in the Old Testament and was used by Hannah in her song of praise to God, which we pray in the responsorial psalm today. Both women in today’s scripture readings were humbled at God’s mercy and graciousness towards them and His people. They were not worthy or deserving of such great blessings, but because God gave to them freely and unconditionally, that made the praises and thanksgiving even greater and more joyful. What was the cause of their thanksgiving and joy?
Firstly, both women conceived a child through divine intervention; one was barren whilst the other was a virgin. The story of the marvellous birth of Samuel spoke of the mercy and kindness of God. Hannah’s prayer in the temple was so fervent that God was moved to answer her prayer. God looks at the humility and sincerity of His servants. In the case of Mary, she was a virgin. She was not expecting anything from the Lord except for the coming of the Messiah to restore Israel. To her surprise, she was chosen from among all women to be the mother of the Saviour, but unlike Hannah, she was to conceive solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, both conceptions were certainly miraculous, displaying God’s mercy and power.
Secondly, upon receiving such a great gift, both women did not keep the gift for themselves but returned the gift to God. It must have been very difficult for Hannah who had wished for a child all her life, and then having had Samuel, knowing that he was God’s gift to her, she returned him to the Lord for His service. She knew that at the end of the day, the gift of Samuel was not just for her, and she should not be selfish and keep him for herself, because he was destined to be a priest, prophet and leader for Israel, the chosen people of God. So when Samuel was still a child, she brought him to the temple at Shiloh and consecrated him to God. 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.”
Similarly, Mary did the same. She offered her Son to the Lord. Mary took care of Jesus for thirty years of His life. She nurtured the Lord, and when the time came for Jesus to leave for His ministry, she did not stop Him. On the contrary, she allowed her only Son to complete the mission that God had given to Him. She gave her wholehearted support to Him, supporting Him in the background, coming to the forefront only when she was needed at the Wedding in Cana and at the foot of the cross. At the cross, Mary offered her Son for the salvation of the world. Jesus was not just a prophet or even a priest but a victim offered for the atonement of our sins.
Thirdly, Hannah and Mary’s Magnificat were the consequence of the blessings Israel had received through them and their sons. Samuel became a great leader, prophet and priest of Israel. He heard the Lord’s call at a very tender age when he was at the temple thinking that Eli was calling him. He was the one who ushered in the monarchy after the period of the judges. He was asked to select Saul as the first king of Israel. Later, when Saul was unfaithful, he took the risk in obedience to God, and went to anoint David as the next king as God had rejected Saul. Samuel was critical in the history of Israel as he saw through the volatile period of the judges before transiting it to a kingdom with David as the ideal king and from whom the Messiah would come to establish an eternal kingdom.
Jesus, the Son of Mary, spent three years of His life in public ministry, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, revealing His Father’s love and mercy through His works of compassion, both in His healing miracles and exorcism, and also in His reaching out to sinners, the marginalized, including prostitutes and tax-collectors. Most of all, by His passion, death and resurrection, her Son gave hope and life to the world. We can be sure that Mary must have been glad that in supporting her Son in His ministry, the divine plan of God was accomplished. Just like Hannah, Mary too, would have been proud of her son.
Indeed, as we approach the Feast of Christmas, we are called to recount the gifts that we have received from God. If some of us are still lamenting that God has not been good to us, we just need to sit back and reflect like Hannah and Mary did on the blessings that we have received. We might not have received the same blessings as others but we have received sufficient blessings to help us celebrate life, love and joy. Each one of us is given different blessings. Our lives are incomparable simply because we are gifted in different ways and called to serve the Lord differently. The blessings we have received for the work He has allotted us and the fruits of our labour will be quite different from others’. A priest’s blessings or that of a single will differ from the blessings of those who are married with a family. A person with authority placed in an influential position would receive blessings that are different from that of an ordinary person. But all will receive their blessings according their state of life.
Perhaps, the most important lesson we can learn from today’s scripture readings is that whatever blessings we have received, we need to use them to bless others in order to make them grow. Every gift we have received from God must be given to His people for service. No one can keep any blessings for himself. It is a great reminder not just to us as individuals but collectively as a people as well, whether as a society, a nation or globally. No individual, no country, no nation must keep their wealth for themselves or make use of the world’s natural resources only for their people. The resources of this earth belong to every man and woman. It does not belong to the privileged few who control the rest of the world’s goods, leaving little for the rest to share. Indeed, when we use the resources God has blessed us with for ourselves only, we hinder God’s blessings which are meant for the rest of humanity.
The Magnificat reminds us that God’s mercy extends to all generations. “Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.” God’s treatment of Hannah and Mary are just examples. God will bless those who come to Him. Those who are selfish and proud of themselves will be brought low eventually. “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.” Those who fail to use their blessings well would have their blessings taken away from them. Only those who are humble and receptive to God, will be “filled with good things.” Indeed, God is a faithful God. “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.” We must extend His blessings to all peoples.
This is why at Christmas, we must imitate Jesus, Mary, Hannah and all the great saints in giving ourselves for the love of God and our people. God has given us the greatest gift of His Son, Jesus for the salvation of humanity. Jesus in turn gave up His life to His Father and for us. As St Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14f) And in his letter to Titus, he wrote, “He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.” (Tit 2:14) We too must be faithful to God as Hannah and Mary were. In humble trust, faith and obedience, we must magnify God for all the blessings we have received and in gratitude bless others with what the Lord has given to us. He “has done great things for me.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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