Homily for December 22
1 Sam 2: 1-8
Luke 1: 46-56Collect, 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.
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