Daily Readings - Wed Dec 22 2021

²⁴After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.²⁵When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,²⁶and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.²⁷I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.²⁸So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

Luke

Chapter 1

⁴⁶And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,⁴⁸for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name.⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith, trust, and surrender to God’s will. In the first reading from 1 Samuel, Hannah, who had been barren, fulfills her vow to the Lord by bringing her young son Samuel to the temple at Shiloh. She hands him over to Eli, the priest, dedicating him to God’s service. This act of surrender is rooted in her deep gratitude for the gift of Samuel, whom she had prayed for and promised to lend back to the Lord. Hannah’s prayer reflects her humility and recognition of God’s providence in her life. In the Gospel, we hear Mary’s Magnificat, a beautiful hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Mary, too, recognizes the greatness of God’s work in her life, acknowledging His mercy and the transformative power of His justice. She rejoices in the humility of her state as a handmaid of the Lord, knowing that God’s plan is one of love and redemption for all people. Both Hannah and Mary exemplify a profound trust in God’s plan, even when it involves surrendering what is dearest to them. Hannah gives up her only son, while Mary accepts the extraordinary and life-altering role of bearing the Son of God. Their stories remind us that true faith is not about holding on to what we have, but about letting go and trusting in God’s goodness. The readings also highlight the theme of humility and the reversal of fortunes—God exalting the lowly and filling the hungry with good things, as Mary so eloquently proclaims. This is a recurring theme in Scripture, one that challenges us to re-examine our own hearts and lives. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to surrender our lives, our plans, and our desires to God’s will? Do we trust Him enough to let go of control and embrace His providence? Like Hannah and Mary, we are called to live with humility and gratitude, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God. May we, like these two women, magnify the Lord with our lives, trusting that His mercy and love will guide us through all the joys and challenges we face. In doing so, we become instruments of His grace, living out the faith that transforms hearts and changes the world.