Homily for December 22

Homily for December 22

1 Sam 2: 1-8

Luke 1: 46-56
Collect, Prayer over Offerings

December 22, 2018

Salesians, Silver Spring, Md.

The holy joy of Mary and Elizabeth (source unknown)

The theme that recurs in today’s liturgy is lowliness, humility, poverty.  We hear it in the Collect, the Psalm, and Mary’s Magnificat.  This is the lowliness, humility, and poverty of those who are completely dependent upon the Lord; of sinners who need redemption; of people who realize and appreciate the favors bestowed upon them by the Lord’s graciousness, like Hannah (1 Sam 2:1-8) and Mary (Luke 1:46-55)—and us who “confess his Incarnation with humble fervor” (Collect) and bring “our offerings to [God’s] sacred altar” seeking “the purifying action of [his] grace” (Prayer over Offerings).

In our hearts we know well our dependence on God not only for grace but also for the progress of our ministry.  We know that when we rely on ourselves, as we’re tempted to do so often, things don’t go well with us—in our spiritual lives, in our ministry, in our works.

The Lord has promised his mercy to Abraham and all his children (Luke 1:55), among them us who believe as Abraham did (Rom 8:11-12)—believe in God’s grace, in our Redeemer’s keeping company with us (Collect), in Christ’s choice of us as his humble instruments when we agree to journey with Christ and with Mary in lowliness, humility, and poverty.