1 Samuel 1:24-28 / Luke 1:46-56
It is said that the first six years of a child's life are the most important years, and indeed it is true.
Because
those six years are the formative years, a time during which the child
learns and absorbs the values, the principles and the way of life that
will shape his/her future.
And the child learns this, usually, from the parents.
Jesus is the Son of God, yet during His childhood years, He certainly learned from His parents.
From
St. Joseph, He not only learned the carpenter's trade, He also learned
to be a man of honour and respect, and also how to discern God's will.
From Mary His mother, He learned humility and to proclaim the greatness of the Lord.
He learned that God will exalt the humble and the lowly.
He learned that the poor are the ones who will inherit the Kingdom of God.
He learned that those who hunger for justice will be filled with good things.
He learned what Mary proclaimed in the Magnificat.
What He learned from His parents, He will later proclaim in the Beatitudes.
As we draw nearer to Christmas, we draw nearer to a new beginning, a new beginning with Jesus.
We are led to the manger, and we will learn about the way, the truth and the life.
As we move on from the manger, the way of love and the truth of God must also form the values and the principles of our lives.