Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Reading 1 1 Samuel 1:24-28
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
She left Samuel there.
Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church;
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Luke 1:46-56
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
December 22, 2025 // Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Reflect on the Word //
I sat down at the dinner table, ready to share a meal and the events of the day with my family. These school days are long—I rise early to pray and exercise, to fill my cup before the rest of the family wakes. Then we launch into homeschooling, sports, music, and activities. Our life is full of good things. On this night, after we said grace, everyone started eating without a word of gratitude to me for the meal that had been served to them. I was discouraged. Couldn’t they see how much I was pouring into them?
Teaching gratitude to our children and practicing it in our own lives can be hard, but there is nothing more important. Everything in our lives is a gift: the air we breathe, the work we are called to, the love we receive in our relationships with friends and family. All is gift.
Hannah from the First Reading had waited and prayed for the gift of a son. When God granted her request, she made the ultimate act of gratitude in bringing her little, newly-weaned son to the temple to give him back to God. What a heartbreaking scene. I can imagine Hannah weeping, Samuel wailing even as she did what she knew was right.
God shows us in the beauty of the liturgy how we are to respond to gifts, especially the Eucharist—we acknowledge them, express our thanks, and offer them back to the Father, even as we unite ourselves to the host and chalice as they are lifted to Heaven after the Consecration. God requires so much of us, but what we receive from Him is infinite and incalculable.
As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of the gift of God-made-flesh in the person of Jesus, let us open our eyes to every good gift, thanking the Giver. We tend to hold these gifts close—the bigger the gift, the greater our temptation to hoard. But it is only in releasing the gifts back to God that they will be used to their full potential in His Kingdom.
Relate to the Lord // Jesus, give us the faith to hold Your gifts, loosely, and with profound gratitude to offer them daily back to You.
Elizabeth Blanke Show is a remarried widow and mama to seven beautiful kiddos. She is passionate about creating community, and loves gathering people to share meals and music in her home. She also loves spending time in nature and exploring new places. You can find her on Instagram @elizaraxi.
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