Episode Details

We are presented in the first reading of today's mass--on the 22nd of December--the story of Hannah. She had prayed a lot to have a baby and the Lord granted her request. In thanksgiving, she brought the baby to the Temple and presented him to the priest Eli. They brought a bull and slaughtered it to express gratitude to the Lord. They wasted it since they killed it and thus, have no more use for it. It is offered to the Lord. Let us not forget to continue with a spirit of self-denial and sacrifice in being grateful for the coming of the Lord. Then, she left the baby in the Temple, for the Lord's service. For the gifts we receive, we are grateful to the Lord for them if we offer them back to Him by using those gifts to serve Him and His other children in the world.