Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
In reflecting upon the readings today one of my favorite Mary songs came to mind. The song “Breath of Heaven” is sung in first person as having the voice of Mary. This ‘Mary’s Song’ imagines a Mary who prayerfully invites the Holy Spirit to breathe upon her so that she might accomplish what the Lord is asking of her; “So I offer all I am, for the mercy of Your plan.” The scriptural song of Mary is from today’s gospel. In her Magnificat, we hear a servant’s psalm of praise that echoes the fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
In the first book of Samuel and today’s psalm we find another song of praise. Here we find in Hannah’s song, a grateful response to a prayer request the Lord has answered. Hannah’s gratitude leads her to do something which might seem extreme. She and her husband go to the temple, where Hannah presents her child to Eli. “I prayed for this child and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord” (1 Sm 1:27-28a) Imagine what this woman did, in gratitude she gave a child she had just finished weaning into the service of the Lord.
Even though both Hannah and Mary had servant’s hearts, surely it must have been painful to hand over their sons to the Lord. Would we, in gratitude, be willing to give everything? How grateful are we for all of the blessing that have been bestowed upon us? To put it in context, think about something or someone in your life now that you consider the most valuable. What if preparing to receive the Lord meant that you had to part with that person or thing?
This Advent season is short-lived now, yet we still have time to prepare the way of the Lord. Reflect on ways in which you could better offer your life over to the Lord. What change could you make so as to give yourself more fully to God? Invite the Holy Spirit to breathe upon you this day, so that in each of us the Lord will find a new Bethlehem.
"Good and loving God, we praise You for the gift of Hannah and Mary who modeled for us what it meant to give their all! Help us to offer ‘all we are’ in order to prepare our hearts to joyfully receive You, who became Emmanuel so as to give it all. Amen"
-Michael Montgomery