Prayer of the Day

Fourth Week of Advent

December 22nd, 2014

In today’s Reading from the Book of Samuel,  Hannah gives thanks for Samuel’s birth and takes the child to the Temple and makes an offering with many gifts to celebrate her thanks to God.  She introduced herself to Eli, saying; “If you please my Lord,  I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.  This is the child I prayed for and the Lord granted what I asked him.  Now I hand him over to God for the whole of his life.” (1 Samuel 1 : 24-28)

There is a similarity between Hannah in the story and Mary the Mother of Jesus.  Samuel was the blessed gift his mother wanted,  but gave him into Eli’s care,  he came to know God thro Eli’s recognizing that God was calling Samuel and told him what to say when God called him the third time; “Here I am Lord.”