1 Samuel 2:1

What is the meaning of "my horn"? Scripture frequently employs this phrase, remember, as when it says, "His horn was exalted" and "The horn of his anointed was exalted." So what on earth does "horn" mean? Force, glory, prominence, using a metaphor from the brute beasts: God implanted in them only the horn by way of glory and weaponry, and if they lose it, they lose most of their force; and like a soldier without weapons a bull without horns is also easily disposed of. So by this the woman means nothing other than this, my glory is exalted. How is it exalted? "In my God," she says. Hence the exaltation is also secure, having a firm and permanent root: while glory from human beings corresponds to the baseness of those glorifying, and so is very liable to disappear, God's glory is not like that, remaining forever permanent.

Are these words going to be regarded as simply the words of one mere woman giving thanks for the birth of her son? Are people's minds so turned away from the light of truth that they do not feel that the words poured out by this woman transcend the limit of her own thoughts? Surely, anyone who is appropriately moved by the events whose fulfillment has already begun, even in this earthly pilgrimage, must listen to these words and observe and recognize that through this woman (whose very name, Hannah, means "God's grace"), there speaks, by the spirit of prophecy, the Christian religion itself, the City of God itself, whose king and founder is Christ. There speaks, in fact, the grace of God itself, from which the proud are estranged so that they fall, with which the humble are filled so that they rise up, which was in fact the chief theme that rang out in her hymn of praise. Now it may be that someone will be ready to say that the woman didn't utter a prophecy but merely praised God in an outburst of exultation for the son who was granted in answer to her prayer. If so, what is the meaning of this passage, "He has made weak the bow of the mighty ones, and the weak have girded themselves with strength. Those who were full of bread have been reduced to want, and the hungry have passed over the earth. Because the barren woman has given birth to seven, while she who has many children has become weak." Had Hannah herself really borne seven children, although she was barren? She had only one son when she spoke these words; and even afterwards she did not give birth to seven, or to six, which would have made Samuel the seventh. She had in fact three male and two female children. […]

For who else are to be understood as enemies of the Church than the Jews? Over whom indeed she has an enlarged mouth, because against their faithlessness she now moves the tongues of all faithful nations. Therefore the mouth of holy Church has been enlarged, because it is spread throughout the whole world, and while she instructs all nations by the preaching of truth, she reproves the foolishness of the Jews, as it were with enlarged mouth. And because she was able to do this for the reason that she joyfully received the Redeemer of the world coming in the flesh, she sets forth the cause of her enlarged mouth.

Now we have learned who the Salvation of God is. Concerning whom Isaiah also prophesying says: All flesh shall see the Salvation of God; all the ends of the earth shall see the Salvation of God (Isa. 52:10; Ps. 97:3). But Jesus in our language is called Savior. Concerning whom Habakkuk also promises himself joy, saying: I will rejoice in God my Jesus (Hab. 3:18). Behold, by the voices of the ancient Jews the Lord Jesus is declared to be God. But now the Jews await a Savior whom they in no way believe to be God. But perhaps the Jews strive to reject this in their own mouth, and while they interpret Jesus as Savior, they understand God the Savior not as the person of the Only-begotten, but of the Father; nevertheless in the same place it is added, whereby the person of the Only-begotten is more openly demonstrated: O Lord God, he says, my strength, set my feet in completion, and place me upon the heights, that I may conquer in his glory (Ibid. 19). Behold, he speaks to God saying: Place me upon the heights. But because he says: I shall conquer in his glory, there is certainly another of whom he speaks. Who therefore is he of whom he speaks except the only-begotten Son of God, whom he believes to be not only true man, but also God? Therefore when he speaks to God, saying: I will rejoice in God my Jesus, and I shall conquer in his glory, he demonstrates not another God, but another person of God. These are the reasonings of holy Church, these are the invincible assertions spread throughout the whole world against the faithlessness of the Jews. Therefore holy Church has her mouth opened wide against her enemies, because now, with God as author, it is known everywhere, whereby the faithlessness of the Jews is also refuted. […]

What is the horn of Anna, except the power of the holy Church? This horn indeed was wonderfully lifted up when the Son of God, through His assumed humanity, made Himself a participant in our nature. Therefore in this the horn of the holy Church was exalted, in which human nature now shines, elevated above the angels. But in that the holy Church singularly declares Him her God and Savior, she covertly shows the rejection of the Synagogue. Therefore in God our Savior our horn has been exalted, because the sublimity of Ecclesiastical power has been raised up for us in the humanity of the Redeemer. Hence also concerning the same Redeemer it is said through Zechariah: He has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David His servant, as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets (Luke 1:69-70), because when she reports that her horn has been exalted, she covertly indicates that before she had a horn that was not exalted. For the holy Church before the coming of the Redeemer had a horn, because in the patriarchs and prophets she received from God both the order of right living and the power of correcting those who transgressed. But nevertheless she did not have an exalted horn, because even if she could live justly, still she could not return to the joys of Paradise without the presence of the Redeemer. But now the horn of the holy Church has been exalted, because we have already received the Redeemer of the world coming, through whose grace we are able not only to live rightly, but also to pass over to the joys of paradise, because He who died for us has already risen, in whose death death died, and paradise opened itself to His faithful ones. […]