1Samuel 1:24-28; Psalm – 1Samuel 2:1, 4-8; Luke 1:46-56
Hannah (Samuel’s mother) was barren and had implored the Lord in earnest and fervent prayers to give her a child. Eventually, the Lord blessed her with a son and after she had weaned the infant Samuel, she brought the child to the temple at Shiloh in fulfillment of the promise she had made. Hannah gave thanks to the Lord with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, together with a beautiful hymn of praise. Today’s psalm taking from the First book of Samuel presents us with Hannah’s hymn of praise which also doubles as Mary’s hymn of praise in the gospel. The Hymn goes to show the similarities between these two women. Hannah can be understood as a type, a foreshadow, or a whisper of Mary. We have so much to learn from them; we must learn not to give up in the face of persistent trials; we must learn to pray fervently and we must learn to give thanks to God.
LET US PRAY
O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor may merit his company as their Redeemer. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
