Homily for Saturday 22nd December 2018
_“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” *(Luke 1:46.)*_
Giving thanks is not just an act, it is an attitude; it demands humility on our part to acknowledge all that we are and all that we have are gifts, not rights. Today we encounter two women who were able to give thanks because they acknowledged their nothingness.
It takes a really humble person to be grateful or to return thanks. Even as Christians, most of us find it really difficult to give thanks to God because we always feel that God has not done enough. We forget that before God we are mere dust; we assume we have a right to demand certain things from God; we even issue commands and shout at God when we pray. This is sad!
When we look at the song of Hannah in our responsorial psalm and that of Mary in our Gospel passage, we cannot but see a theology of how God works; a theology Paul summarizes in 1 Corinthians 1, 27: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”
According to Hannah: “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.” And for Mary: “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.”
In order for us to really give thanks, we must first come to terms with our nothingness. Only then are we able to see that we don’t even deserve a tiny fraction of the things we have, only then are able to see that our cup is half full and not half empty.
Hannah prayed fervently for a child, she prayed so hard one day that Eli mistook her for one who was high on alcohol. When she told him her problem, Eli assured her that God would answer her prayer. Hannah stopped crying, she completely believed the assurance of Eli and went home happily. Her faith was rewarded in the gift of Samuel. Hannah was not an ungrateful woman. As we see in today’s first reading, Hannah remembered God and came back to the temple to fulfil her promise:
“As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child, I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord.” What a lesson for us! Do I remember to thank God for the prayers He answered in the past? Do I keep my promises to God? Am I faithful to those vows I made to God?
As Christmas approaches and the year itself comes to an end, let us pause for a while today to count our blessings. Enough of complaining. As bad as things may be for you right now, never forget that there are many who wished to see this day but are now resting in peace. Be like Hannah. Be like Mary. Give Thanks.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to Give Thanks. Amen.
*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 3rd Week of Advent. Bible Study: 1 Samuel 1:24-28, Psalm from 1 Samuel 2:1-8 and Luke 1:46-56).
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