My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour. Both Hannah and our Blessed Mother magnified the Lord their God by their prayer and their actions. Hannah by trusting and presenting her only son for service to the Lord our God. And our Blessed Mother by bringing forth salvation into the world through her son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
Let us too sing God’s praises by sharing the good news of our salvation and by the way we lead our lives as disciples of Jesus. Amen
First reading
1 Samuel 1:24-28
When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, 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 me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’
There she left him, for the Lord.
Gospel
Luke 1:46-56
Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors– of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
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