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Gospel:
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
-and you yourself a sword will pierce-
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The heart of today’s Feast of the Presentation is Jesus. But the Gospel also mentions another person, Anna, who is one of the few female prophets in the bible. This will be our only encounter with her.
So, a word today on Anna.
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Anna spent most of her life as a widow.
Anyone who’s lost a loved one – particularly a spouse – has known the sorrow of Anna. But her sorrow didn’t make her bitter; in a sense, God became her spouse. As Luke tells us, she never left the temple.
Anna reminds us that sorrow can do one of two things in life: it can dry up our faith. Or it can make us softer, more compassionate people.
In her case, she became a stronger believer.
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Anna was eighty-four.
Age changes us. As we become increasingly frail, there’s the temptation to hibernate and complain about our aches and pains.
But Anna shows us a different way: she got up every morning and offered her day to the Lord. She was proactive in doing good.
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What was her secret? Where did she draw her strength from? How did she become so gentle in spirit?
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Anna left room in her heart for the Holy Spirit, which is why she recognized Jesus that day.
In a word, she prayed.
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Perhaps it’s not too late for us to add another New Year’s resolution: to pray daily like Anna, committing ourselves more fully to God.
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Image credits: (1) Anna the Prophet, Grace and Peace Joanne, LLC, YouTube (2) Anna the Prophetess, Pinterest (3) Prince of Peace Church