Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Hannah prayed with great devotion and fervor for one thing: a child. Now, she has that child, Samuel, and she is following through with her promise to give him to the Lord. Hannah is making a significant sacrifice. But, because of her sacrifice, her son will follow the Lord and carry out God’s will, accomplishing many good works.
This sacrifice might be likened to a mother who supports her son’s vocation to the priesthood or religious life. Maybe it wasn’t what she had in mind, maybe she was hoping for grandchildren or his availability to her, especially in her later years. A call to the priesthood or religious life does not just impact the individual pursuing that vocation, but it affects others. Whether you are the one making a big decision or you are having to support another who is placing his or her faith in God, we need to have faith when we make sacrifices.
The reading concludes: “She left Samuel there.” Hannah made her sacrifice. She left her son for God. It seems that in our life there is always something we need to surrender or turn over to God, and rarely is it easy. St. Teresa of Calcutta wrote: “One thing Jesus asks of me: that I lean on Him; that in Him and only in Him I put complete trust; that I surrender myself to Him unreservedly. Even when all goes wrong and I feel as if I am a ship without a compass, I must give myself completely to Him. I must not attempt to control God’s action.”
Reflection by Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time