Sunday, December 2, 2012

12/22/12 – Saturday – 1 Samuel 1:24-28, Luke 1:46-56


         Today, just a few days before our Christmas celebration, our readings prepare us for the true meaning of Christmas at a time when many of us are probably preoccupied with many other things, such as buying gifts, decorating our homes, or performing the duties and responsibilities of our busy modern lives. 
         Mary’s song of the Magnificat is filled with extraordinary proclamations about God and a remarkable strength of belief.  Sister Elizabeth Johnson of Fordham University remarks that “Mary’s Magnificat …shows a woman whose consciousness is deeply rooted in the heritage and wisdom of the strong women of Israel.  Knowledge about the liberating traditions of her own people, (the Virgin Mary), this friend of God, stands (out) as a prophet.” 
         One prophetic woman of Israel who is part of this liberating tradition is Hannah in our first reading.  Hannah brings her young son, Samuel, to the Temple in order to dedicate him to God and to leave him there under the tutelage of Eli.  Hannah does this to fulfill her promise to God for answering her prayers and giving her a son.  Hannah is one of many Jewish women in the Scriptures and traditions that Mary is aware of as she joyfully sings the Magnificat. 
         What do Mary, Hannah, & Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, have to say to us in these final days of Advent?  Perhaps they are asking us to discover the true meaning of this season in the midst of our busy secular world.  As God manifested himself in the humble manger in Bethlehem in the form of the baby Jesus, he reminds us that in our modern world, God's real presence is still among us, a presence we encounter in many ways in our lives, reminding us how much we are loved by God just as we are.  The Magnificat reminds us that God loves us, that he desires us to express this love to him and to others as we live out our daily lives of faith.  God touches us through others.  Likewise, God touches others through our presence to them just as Mary brought God to her cousin Elizabeth through her presence and through her words. 
         Today, echoing the meaning of Christmas and the words of joy sung by Mary, may we pray that we will open our eyes, hearts, and hands to the stirrings of God in our lives, especially in the ways he comes to us during Advent and Christmas. 

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