By Melanie Rigney
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. (1 Samuel 1:25-28)
My
heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. (1 Samuel 2:1a)
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.” (Luke
1:46-47)
Piety
Lord, I break out in song of my own to praise Your
goodness.
Study
 |
By Lambert_Doomer
(http://www.pubhist.com/works/08/large/8630.jpg)
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. |
Hannah and
Mary were divided by centuries… and much more.
Mary was a
young girl, pregnant with a child under unusual circumstances shared with her
by an angel. Talk about bewildering! Then, the significance of what was
happening was reflected in the welcome she received from her relative
Elizabeth. Hannah, the favored wife of Elkanah, was desperate to have a son, in
no small part because of the torment inflicted on her by a sister wife. Hannah
prayed so fervently for a son that it was thought she was drunk. The prayer was
answered as she had hoped; she gave birth to a son they named Samuel (“Because
I asked the Lord for him”), and as soon as he was weaned, left him to be reared
at the temple as she had promised.
Despite the
differences in their circumstances, the Lord’s generosity and trust in Mary and
Hannah both responded in songs of rejoicing. Each was grateful and full of
praise… even though both knew their sons ultimately belonged not to them, but
to God. And isn’t that the case of the most ordinary of births and rebirths,
even today? The child born to the wealthiest or most impoverished family; the
teenager struggling with which prestigious college to attempt or how to stop an
abusive behavior; the adult who summons up the courage to go to confession
after a week or twenty years. We find true joy when we dedicate the lives of
those we rear or of ourselves to God—today, tomorrow, and always.
Action
Don’t
concern yourself today with where a loved one’s life may be helped. Turn your
worries over to God. Ask Him if the situation requires you to take action… or
simply to step out of His way.
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