FRIDAY DECEMBER 22, 2023
FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR B
1 Samuel 1:24-28
Luke 1:46-56
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TOWARDS GOD’S MARVELOUS BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES.
Mary’s choice to be the mother of God with her elevation to conceive and bear the child Jesus in her womb brought her not just great rejoicing and gladness but Mary was filled with so much gratitude and appreciation for this Favour God granted her. This, she related in her magnificat, the song of praise in acknowledgement and appreciation of God’s Favour and blessings over her.
Today, the Church hears this song of Mary as she directs us in the right and best attitude in the face of our relationship with God, especially when we are favoured and honoured. She testifies to the glory of God in her words, with her body, spirit and soul. The entirety of her being therefore are employed in the service of adoring God. She reserves nothing but gives God her all.
Her Magnificat is an attestation to the qualities that attracts us to God. These qualities that God sees in us and acts within us are more pronounced in our lowliness, humility, compassion and willingness and readiness to do the will of God in our lives. Mary extol all these in this songs of praise.
We are therefore reminded of the need to always possess and live humble lives at all time, always being faithful to the teachings of the Church, possessing the right disposition of knowing and understanding that God takes the central place in our lives and must never be replace by any other thing.
We must also accord our God the most of our lives in service and total dedication of ourselves in love. We are presented with Hannah in the first reading from the Book of Samuel, who fulfilled the promises he made to the Lord. Before the birth of Samuel, she had promised that if given the gift of a child, the child will be dedicated to the service of God for the rest of his life. And to fulfill such promise, Hannah whom God granted the gift of a Son in Samuel, brought the child into the temple to present to the Lord and to be dedicated to his service for the rest of his life.
We must learn by this, the necessity of not only fulfilling our vows but more importantly, of giving the greatest attitude of self emptying which is giving back to God in humility our lives in appreciation and gratitude.
Heavenly Father, in the Magnificat, Mary teaches us that gratitude, humility and compassion are what draws us nearer to you and makes us acceptable before your presence. Help us to be always grateful for the blessings you give and the life you called us into. Help us to live humbly, simply and with our lives in service of you, all the days of our lives through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
