How do we practice penance in Advent joyfully? I think Hannah provides us with one answer. Before today’s reading, we see a woman who would frequently “weep and refuse to eat” because she was barren (1 Sam 1:7). Hannah’s barrenness symbolizes our brokenness, our sinfulness. Barrenness, brokenness, and sinfulness naturally make us sad. If we remain sad indefinitely, we may begin to despair. But Hannah, instead of absolutely despairing, brought her sadness and directed her fasting to prayer.
Because Hannah turned to the Lord in her sadness, the Lord gave her hope that she would conceive and bear a son. Hannah then “ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downhearted” (1 Sam 1:18). Later in the story, we see that the Lord remembered Hannah’s prayer. God granted her a son whom she named Samuel. In today’s reading, we see a woman who is so grateful for the gift of her son that she gives her son back to the Lord. Hannah then gratefully and joyfully prayed, “My heart exults in the Lord” (1 Sam 2:1).
Hannah teaches us to direct our sorrow, our penance, to prayer. If we bring penance to prayer, we receive the hope that God will save us from sin and heal our brokenness. In hope, we begin to rejoice even now that the Lord remembers us and grants our prayer. If you weep this Advent, do not weep to despair. Instead, sow your tears in prayer that you may reap the fruit of joy. Do not despair in sadness but pray in hope: your sadness will turn into joy. Pray in hope with Hannah this Advent as we joyfully await the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.