Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1 1 Samuel 1:24-28
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
She left Samuel there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 1:24-28
In this passage from First Samuel we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicating the boy to God. The reference she made to Eli; “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord” refers to her prayer that she be allowed to bear a son for God. Her prayer answered, she now dedicates him and leaves him to be trained in the faith.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
“A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Sam 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Sam 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Sam 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Sam 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with our Lady's Magnificat.”[5]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel Luke 1:46-56
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
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.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gospel Lk 1:46-56
Following the parody from 1st Samuel, we are given the Magnificat, the beautiful Canticle of Mary. Her song of thanksgiving and humility captures the saintliness that has become synonymous with our image of Mary the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church. In her dedication of the service she offers to God as vessel of the Messiah she sets the stage for the humble birth of Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The candles of hope, love, and joy continue to shine and are finally joined by the candle of peace. With its lighting the flame shines brightly inviting the Price of Peace to rule our hearts and minds.
This year, as we once more hear the words of the Canticle of Mary (the Magnificat) placed in the context of our Eucharistic Celebration let us ponder her opening remarks; “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” Other translations use slightly different language and it is sometimes instructive to look at a few:
1. “My soul magnifies the Lord,” in the Revised Standard Version
2. "My soul glorifies the Lord” in the New International Version
3. “My soul doth magnify the Lord” in the King James Version
4. “My soul gives glory to the Lord” in the New International Readers Version
5. “My soul doth magnify the Lord” from the Douay Rheims
And finally
6. “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” from the Vulgate
Different Translators have done their best to express what the Blessed Mother felt as she responded to her cousin Elizabeth in these words. She had traveled from her home to be with Elizabeth during this time; Elizabeth having conceived St. John the Baptist six months earlier (Luke 1:36) and the Blessed Virgin now carrying the Christ in her womb. Scripture tells us Mary stayed through the birth of St. John (“Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months”). It is reasonable that she came for that purpose. But that initial exchange between them gives us a glimpse of what the Peace of Christ must be.
My soul proclaims the greatness of, magnifies, gives glory to, and glorifies the Lord! Our Blessed Mother’s heart was given totally to God. Her entire being was devoted to the insistence that God’s service be accomplished; that her own comfort, desires, even needs would be sacrificed so that God, whose Son she bore, would receive the unceasing praise that was due to him.
Her statement gives us the sense that she has totally submitted to God’s will, that there is nothing of her own spirit or motivation left within her. She has surrendered to God her very self and in that moment as Elizabeth says “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” the Mother of God declares her humble servitude, her self-proclaimed offering of her inmost being.
It is not just for herself she offers these words, she offers herself for all humanity. She submits to God’s saving act with such perfect lack of self that only the spirit of Christ remains, glowing through her, causing the fetal St. John to leap within Elizabeth’s womb.
And to us, we listen to those words spoken once more as Christ’s birth looms near. We find the perfect vessel free of human sin, brings the child to us once more. Offered to the world in perfect sacrifice, the sacrifice that makes us whole, that brings us into the very presence of God. And within us today we feel that surrender, that offer of self to God the Most High, as we repeat her words and they become our own; “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used today is “Madonna del Magnificat” by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-81
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved
[5] See NAB footnote on 1 Sm 2:1
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1 1 Samuel 1:24-28
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
She left Samuel there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 1:24-28
In this passage from First Samuel we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicating the boy to God. The reference she made to Eli; “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord” refers to her prayer that she be allowed to bear a son for God. Her prayer answered, she now dedicates him and leaves him to be trained in the faith.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:[4] 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
“A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Sam 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Sam 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Sam 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Sam 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with our Lady's Magnificat.”[5]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel Luke 1:46-56
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
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.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gospel Lk 1:46-56
Following the parody from 1st Samuel, we are given the Magnificat, the beautiful Canticle of Mary. Her song of thanksgiving and humility captures the saintliness that has become synonymous with our image of Mary the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church. In her dedication of the service she offers to God as vessel of the Messiah she sets the stage for the humble birth of Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The candles of hope, love, and joy continue to shine and are finally joined by the candle of peace. With its lighting the flame shines brightly inviting the Price of Peace to rule our hearts and minds.
This year, as we once more hear the words of the Canticle of Mary (the Magnificat) placed in the context of our Eucharistic Celebration let us ponder her opening remarks; “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” Other translations use slightly different language and it is sometimes instructive to look at a few:
1. “My soul magnifies the Lord,” in the Revised Standard Version
2. "My soul glorifies the Lord” in the New International Version
3. “My soul doth magnify the Lord” in the King James Version
4. “My soul gives glory to the Lord” in the New International Readers Version
5. “My soul doth magnify the Lord” from the Douay Rheims
And finally
6. “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” from the Vulgate
Different Translators have done their best to express what the Blessed Mother felt as she responded to her cousin Elizabeth in these words. She had traveled from her home to be with Elizabeth during this time; Elizabeth having conceived St. John the Baptist six months earlier (Luke 1:36) and the Blessed Virgin now carrying the Christ in her womb. Scripture tells us Mary stayed through the birth of St. John (“Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months”). It is reasonable that she came for that purpose. But that initial exchange between them gives us a glimpse of what the Peace of Christ must be.
My soul proclaims the greatness of, magnifies, gives glory to, and glorifies the Lord! Our Blessed Mother’s heart was given totally to God. Her entire being was devoted to the insistence that God’s service be accomplished; that her own comfort, desires, even needs would be sacrificed so that God, whose Son she bore, would receive the unceasing praise that was due to him.
Her statement gives us the sense that she has totally submitted to God’s will, that there is nothing of her own spirit or motivation left within her. She has surrendered to God her very self and in that moment as Elizabeth says “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” the Mother of God declares her humble servitude, her self-proclaimed offering of her inmost being.
It is not just for herself she offers these words, she offers herself for all humanity. She submits to God’s saving act with such perfect lack of self that only the spirit of Christ remains, glowing through her, causing the fetal St. John to leap within Elizabeth’s womb.
And to us, we listen to those words spoken once more as Christ’s birth looms near. We find the perfect vessel free of human sin, brings the child to us once more. Offered to the world in perfect sacrifice, the sacrifice that makes us whole, that brings us into the very presence of God. And within us today we feel that surrender, that offer of self to God the Most High, as we repeat her words and they become our own; “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used today is “Madonna del Magnificat” by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-81
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[4] Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved
[5] See NAB footnote on 1 Sm 2:1
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