A Gift Received and Given

“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.”

1 Samuel 24:27-28

If you were to ask God for something for a very long time and He one day give it to you, what would you do? I imagine you would thank God, praise Him, and treasure and cherish this gift for which you have longed. But I guess if we take a closer look at the word “gift,” not only does it imply an initial giver and receiver, but the receiver in turn also becomes a giver. What am I trying to say? A gift in its truest sense is meant to be received, yes, but also given, even if we ourselves have longed for it.

It always moves my heart when I read or hear about Hannah’s story. Hannah ceaselessly prays for a son and when God grants her a son, Samuel, she gives thanks, praises and dedicates him to the Lord. After praying all that time for a son, she receives one and then she gives him back to the Lord. To some people Hannah might appear crazy or foolish, and at first she might appear so, but with time and through the lens of faith we come to see that Hannah truly embraced the gift of God, and in embracing it, she dedicated that gift to Him. All gifts are meant to be given, even if it has been given to us.

Hannah’s story can also be read with Mary’s. Both Hannah and Mary received the gift of a son, and they both praised God. If we look closely at the “Magnificat” of Mary, her song of praise, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…” it looks very similar to Hannah’s “My heart exults in the Lord…” Both received the gift of a son, and both presented them and offered them to God. Only in giving did they truly receive. By dedicating her son to the Lord, Hannah and her husband were blessed with five more children (1 Sam. 2:21) and Samuel became a great prophet, and by Mary giving up her Son over to the will of God, we have received the forgiveness of sins, the gift of our salvation, and the hope of eternal life. When one gives what has been freely gifted to them, one will receive and gain more not simply for oneself but for others too.

What are some gifts the Lord has given to us? Have we been good stewards of them? Have we put them to good use? A gift is only a gift inasmuch as it is given. Are there any gifts or talents the Lord has given to me that I have used only for myself and not for others? May we this day ask the Lord to give us the grace and courage to offer up the many gifts He has given to us for the good of the people and for the greater glory of God.

Hannah Giving Her Son Samuel to the Priest, 1645, Jan Victors

The Ruler Who Comes to Us

“He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.”

Micah 5:3-4a

In the first reading from Micah, we hear that this future coming leader in Israel will come from the least of the tribes of Judah, Bethlehem.  The Prophet describes this ruler “whose origin if from of old, from ancient times” (Mic 5:1). Who can this leader or ruler be, who is from of old? Certainly, no human being born in the future can be said to be from of old. This leader then must be of divine origin, who is eternal and from all times, including the ancient times. This leader must be God Himself. Although there is a promise of salvation and future leader, there will also be purification and destruction: “Therefore, the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel” (5:2).  But when the time does come, this ruler will be a shepherd whose “greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth” (5:3). God does not promise to take away their pain and suffering (which really is self-inflicted) but will allow destruction to take place so that a renewal and restoration may come, one that will be ushered in with a remnant and a Messianic king who will be a ruler not just for the tribes of Judah, but for all peoples. We can see who this ruler is in the Gospel.  

In the Gospel passage (Luke 1:39-45), we are given the account of the Visitation where Mary, after being told she would bear the Son of God, goes to visit her cousin, Elizabeth in the hill country to a town of Judah. The Prophet Micah spoke of the Messianic king, the new ruler to come from among the least of the tribes of Judah, and here we see Mary, with the Son of God, going to a town of Judah. Moreover, Joseph, to whom Mary is betrothed is from the town of Bethlehem, from which the prophet Micah prophesied the new ruler would come. Mary’s journey with the child Jesus in her womb going to the town in Judah paints an image of God going to meet and save His people. However, for this encounter to take place, Mary and Jesus must be received. Not only did Elizabeth receive them, but the infant in her womb also received them, leaping for joy!  Perhaps, Elizabeth and Mary are part of the line of the remnant through which Jerusalem will be saved, restored, and renewed as prophesied by Micah. Elizabeth recognized that Mary was someone special, set apart by God for a particular mission, and so was the child in her womb. Furthermore, Elizabeth asked a very interesting and telling question, “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (1:43)?  She recognized that the baby in Mary’s womb was no ordinary baby, she knew it was her Lord! The usage of the title, “Lord” by Luke also tells us something important since so far in the Gospel, “Lord” has only been used to refer to “Lord God” but now he uses it refer to Jesus. Moreover, the title, “Lord” is used in the Old Testament for the Davidic king, telling us that this child, as recognized by Elizabeth, is from the line of David. This Messianic king who Micah spoke of and of whom the first reading described is found in the baby in the womb of Mary, Jesus Christ. The people in the time of Micah were unfaithful to the covenant they made with the Lord, and so now Jesus has come to make a new covenant with the people of God, a covenant that is Himself, for the salvation of all and so that all may have new life. And the responsorial psalm echoes this sentiment, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved” (Ps 80:4).

Just as the prophet Micah spoke of the new leader in Israel, the Messiah will “stand firm and shepherd his flock,” (Mic 5:3a) so too in the responsorial psalm is the image of a shepherd given: “O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power, and come to save us” (Ps 80:2-3). The psalmist goes on to implore the Lord to come down and save and protect His people. When we see how Jesus is the new covenant that comes to save all peoples and to give them life, our response can only echo that of the psalmist, “Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name” (80:19).

Unlike the people at the time of Micah who broke the covenant with God and strayed away from Him and died, those who come to the Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the new and eternal covenant will never die. The new ruler in Israel, the Messianic King, and the Shepherd whose reach is the ends of the earth as prophesied by Micah is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is born of Mary.   

Will we like the psalmist today make the decision to withdraw from the Lord no more and so receive the new life He has come to give to us?

Shout for Joy!

“Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!”

Zephaniah 3:14

Rejoice! Shout for joy! What is all this fuss about? Why rejoice? Why shout for joy? Today the Church celebrates the Third Sunday of Advent, commonly known as “Gaudete” Sunday, from the Latin word gaudere meaning “rejoice.” So, why rejoice? Like Lent, there is a penitential aspect to Advent. During Advent we are waiting for Christ by “preparing the way” and “making straight the paths” to our hearts so that Jesus might have a place in them. However, today we are reminded to rejoice (and not only repent)! The prophet Zephaniah implores the people of Judah to repent of their sins lest they fall like the Israel, who were captured and took into captivity by the Assyrians. Yet despite the pain and suffering, the prophet tells the people to rejoice because God is faithful and that He will restore them, who are faithful, and bring them home.

In the Gospel reading we see the people, who have already begun to prepare their hearts, asking John the Baptist what they should do to prepare even further for the coming of the Messiah. John tells them to do what is right and just before God and before their neighbors. In other words, to be in right relationship with God and others. Then John speaks about Jesus, the One who will come after him, who will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit, a baptism that not only washes away sins but also gives eternal life. For this Good News, how can one not rejoice! In fact St. Paul writes to the Philippians telling them to rejoice in the Lord always and he says it again. The Christian people is a people of joy. Are we joyful?

If we think about it, it must have been very hard for the people either in exile or about to be exiled in the Old Testament to rejoice. All that they knew and had will be taken from them or destroyed, and yet the prophet tells them to rejoice. This is because joy is not something that is dependent on our circumstances or possessions. Joy is a state and way of being because it is rooted in eternity, rooted in someone; joy is rooted in Christ. When we allow our hearts to be moved by and filled with joy, our lives will never be the same. It is not our situations that lead us to joy, but rather it is joy that dictates how we ought and will face the situations ahead of us, even if they seem difficult and trying. Joy is knowing that the battle has been won and that God, who is all-powerful, all-loving, and eternal is with us and will continue to be with us. To be joyful then is to know that our hope is in God, and that we can be sure that God will provide.

All we have to do is look at the Cross. That is the source of our joy. Not rejoicing that Christ suffered and died but because God has loved us so much that He was willing to become man and to bear our sins so that evil might be destroyed once and for all. Today let us take a few moments to look back on our lives and see where the Lord has been with us and to see from where we are today, how far God has brought us, and may we rejoice because we know that as we look forward, God will bring us there too. Let us shout for joy today and everyday!

Happy Gaudete Sunday.

For more, click here for the Weekly Reflection, “Joyful Hope.”

St John the Baptist Baptizes the People, c. 1635, Nicolas Poussin