HOMILY FOR THE 4TH MONDAY OF ADVENT — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: MY SPIRIT REJOICES
BY: Bishop Gerald M Musa
1 Sam 1:24-28; Psalm (1 Sam 2:1, 4-8); Luke 1:46-56
Heaven listens closely when gratitude starts singing. How often do we thank and praise God for his blessings? Two spirit-filled popular songs of praise in the New Testament are good examples of thanksgiving to God. The first is the Song of Zechariah (*Benedictus*) and the Song of Mary (*Magnificat*), which are found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Mary expresses her joy over the goodness of God in her life. She exclaims, *“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”* (Luke 1:46–47).
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The song of Mary re-echoes the song of thanksgiving of Hannah in the First Book of Samuel. Hannah had no child, and God gave her a child. In thanksgiving to God, she sang a song, and she came back to express thanks to God. An inspiring passage tells us, *“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”* (Psalm 150:6). Coventry Patmore asks, *“What is gladness without gratitude? And where is gratitude without God?”* This is to say gladness, gratitude, and God are inextricably tied and cannot be separated.
A thankful heart is a joyful heart, and a joyful heart is a godly heart. A heart in tune with God is a grateful heart that sings praises. We have many reasons to praise God, especially because he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). We need to ask God for the spirit of prayer and praise to express gratitude from the depths of our hearts for the many blessings we enjoy. At Christmas, we thank and praise God for his countless blessings and for sending Jesus to save us. Can we learn to make thanksgiving a regular habit and a lifestyle.
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