Homily for December 22nd, 2015: 1 Samuel 1:24-21:
24-28; Luke 1:46-56.
Hannah, who
appears in our first reading, is one of many women in the Old Testament who suffer
for years because of their inability conceive a child. Accompanying her husband
Elkanah on one of his annual visits to the sanctuary at Shiloh ,
Hannah prays for a child with such intensity and fervor that Eli, the priest on
duty there, thinking she is drunk, rebukes her and tells her to sober up.
I’m not drunk, Hannah replies; “I was only pouring out my troubles to the
Lord.” Reassured, Eli sends her on her way with the prayer: “May the God of
Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” God answers this prayer, giving
Hannah a son, Samuel, who would be the first of Israel Shiloh , Hannah thanks God, praising
him in the words we prayed together as the responsorial psalm. She praises God
who lifts up the poor, while humbling the rich and powerful.
Mary’s words
in the gospel, praising God for making the mother of his Son, echo these words
of Hannah: “My spirit rejoices in God my savior… He has cast down the mighty
from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with
good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”
Some
three decades later Mary’s Son would speak words remarkably similar to those of
both his mother, and Hannah. We call
them the Beatitudes, because each is introduced by the Greek word makarios, which means “blessed” or
“happy.” The Beatitudes proclaim the reversal of all earthly values. Where worldly
society says: “Blessed are the rich,” Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor
in spirit.” Society says, “Blessed are
those who know how to live it up and have fun.” Jesus says, “Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Where society says it is the powerful
who are blessed, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek.” And when Jesus says, “Blessed
are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,” society says: “Be
sure you get a good lawyer.”
Jesus wants us to use the Beatitudes
as a mirror; to ask ourselves, ‘Am I poor in spirit? Am I humble and merciful?
Am I pure of heart? Do I hunger and
thirst for God’s righteousness? Am I a peacemaker, or do I contribute to
conflict through gossip, cynicism, and hate?’
Think about those questions, friends,
and pray about them. Doing so is the best possible preparation for Christmas.
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