WEEK FOUR
THURDAY
1 Samuel 1:24-28
Luke 1:46-56
Today the Church lays side by side the story of Hannah bringing her precious child Samuel to the Temple, with Mary singing her Magnificat.
I don’t think I could imagine a more poignant scene if I tried than that of Hannah leaving her child Samuel in the Temple at Shiloh. Hannah had longed for a child and saw the birth of Samuel as the greatest blessing. And yet, she had made a vow that he would be given over to the Lord.
Perhaps we need to take a step back from the poignant details and see this episode as part of God’s overarching plan. By growing up in the sacred place of Shiloh, Samuel is shown to have been trained from a very young age to listen to God’s word and to act upon it. It is Samuel who will anoint David as King, and from David’s line the Messiah will be born.
We can trace a thread through the stories of the Old Testament of people who were faithful to God against all odds. Each small choice and each big ‘Yes’ paves the way for the fulfilment of God’s promise. Maria Boulding, in her book, The Coming of God, expresses this beautifully:
‘The chosen people were created to be a centre of attunement, receptivity and expectation, a place of felt need and desire. They were to listen to God’s word, to long for him, and to be the womb-community which would bring forth the One who was to come.’
And still today, God longs for our whole-hearted participation in the promise of salvation. We are still called to be that place of longing for our communities, for our country, for the world.
The story of Hannah and Samuel only makes sense if we see love at its heart. So too Mary’s words in the Magnificat. The depth of her praise and thanksgiving in this song will be matched by the depth of her love as she watches her son take the road to Calvary. Hannah and Mary have both taken the narrow road.
It is love impels them to pursue everlasting life: therefore, they are eager to take the narrow road of which the Lord says: Narrow is the road that leads to life (Matt 7:14). (Chapter 5, Obedience)
St Benedict wants his monks to be eager to take the narrow road. It’s only love that can make sense of the desire to embark upon this path. In his chapter on Obedience St Benedict is clear that his monks are to live ‘no longer under their own judgement, giving in to their whims and appetites’. This is a hard teaching. It sometimes requires being able to take the long view. Often you have to put yourself in the position of another, trying to want what God wants. This is very much the focused work of the novitiate and beyond.
In time, you will be given a responsibility and you will rely on the goodwill and obedience of others. What you ask of others, you will need to model yourself.
It’s only love that can make sense of this.
Is God calling you to take the narrow road this Advent?