Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
My niece recently gave birth to twins. It been such a wonderful experience for our family. She and her husband also have a two year old who has adjusted amazingly well to these two new babies who have ‘invaded’ her territory. On occasion, when she has noticed someone using one of her blankets to cover one of the babies, she will grab it and say, “That’s mine!” We have found ourselves chuckling at her reactions. But most often, this precocious child is right in the middle of all the activity. She wants to help feed the twins, kiss them on their cheeks, and will even give them one of her own toys when they cry. While reflecting on today’s Scriptures, I found myself thinking of this sweet toddler who is just beginning to understand the concept of giving to others. Even at her tender age, the instinct and desire to ‘give it away’ rules strong!
As we approach Christmas, there is hardly a day we do not encounter the Blessed Virgin in some manner in the daily Scriptures. Today the Gospel reading from Luke is often referred to as the Song of Mary, the Magnificat. The responsorial passage from 1 Samuel echoes Mary’s song praising the Almighty God. Hannah’s song is brimming with joy as well as she brings her young son to present him and give him completely to God.
Both Mary and Hannah have experienced genuine encounters with God. One obvious similarity in these women’s stories is that their initial response to their personal encounter with God is overwhelming praise and joy. But it does not end there. As a result of the encounter with God, their hearts have been changed forever and they both proceed to ‘give it all away’ in a manner of speaking and this giving is clearly on God’s terms. The human heart that has been touched by God finds itself compelled to turn outward and somehow share the experience with the world. For each person, this ‘turning outward’ is expressed in a unique way, but the purpose is the same: revealing the presence and action of God in the world. Hannah has received her long awaited son and, because of her relationship with God, finds herself not only willing, but eager to return him to the Lord. She cannot help herself! And Mary will do the same, despite the suffering and hardship she knows awaits her.
Most of us will participate in giving as well as receiving this season. I do not want my giving (or receiving) to be primarily out of obligation. I want my motivation to be directly related to the realization that all that I have and all that I am is a gift from the One who created me and holds me in being at every moment. And I pray that my own awareness of the supreme gift—Emmanuel—will be foremost in my mind and heart. I pray that I may be touched so very deeply by this awareness that I cannot help but to go out and ‘give it away’ in exactly the way God leads me.
--Gail Lyman