What is My Response To God’s Love, His Goodness?

 

We are not to held back our life from God.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, December 22nd of Advent
Texts: 1 Samuel 1:24-28; Canticle 1 Samuel:1,4-8; Luke 1:46-56 

The question, today, is this: What is my response to God’s love, His goodness? What do I give in return for God’s favour? Today’s first reading is the story of how Hannah responded to God’s goodness to her. She said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the  Lord. For this child I prayed; and the  Lord has granted me my petition which I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the  Lord; as long as he lives, he is lent to the  Lord." 

She is satisfied with the joy of being fruitful

Hannah gave back to God what she received from Him. She is satisfied with the joy of being fruitful; it removed her reproach. She was not attached to the gift but generous with it. Can we be like her? Can we be satisfied with the joy of giving a helping hand, being generous with our gift, time and treasure? We can when we are satisfied with the joy of being blessed and not attach to the blessing. When we are not attach to the blessing, we will be generous with it. Hannah teaches us to be satisfied with the joy of being blessed and be generous with God’s blessings.  

The joy of being blessed springs from the awareness of God’s favour and involvement in our lives. Attachment to the blessing results from being blind to God’s involvement in our lives. We cling to the blessing because we think God may suffer us the blessing in the future; He might not give us again. This is because we have lost sight of God’s involvement in our lives.  

Our ways of life are gifts to God

Our life is a gift from God, our ways of life are our responses to His gift of life to us. We are not to held back our life from God. The joy of having life should make us surrender our life to Him. Clinging to life is not a way of showing we are satisfied with the joy of life. Clinging to life snuffs life out of us. When we are satisfied with joy of life, we enter into eternal life. Jesus Christ says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Mt. 16:25). 

Prayer 

O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervour may merit his company as their Redeemer. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke