Author: admin

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“There was a prophetess, Anna…who never left the temple” (Luke 2:36-40).

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This is one of the only passages in the entire bible where a female prophetess is mentioned.

In this case, it’s the prophetess, Anna, an 84-year-old widow, who spends her days in the temple praying to God.

Like many in Israel, Anna believed that God would visit his people – it’s the most important promise the Lord makes in the Old Testament. They just didn’t know when he would do it. 

Today, in her elderly years, Anna sees this promise answered.

Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us.

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Though we may not be physically frail – or in our 80’s – like the prophetess Anna, how many of us have become spiritually frail, tired of waiting for the Lord to act?

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Anna waited her whole life for God to answer her deepest desire.  And notice where he answers it – in the temple.

The same will be true for us.

If we want God to act in our lives, the best place be is right here in church. 

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There’s a beautiful, sometimes overlooked, detail in today’s Gospel. 

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After Jesus rose from the dead, he tossed his burial cloths aside – much like we’d toss aside dirty laundry; he had no further use for them.

However, he took the time to roll up the cloth once covering his head, placing it in a separate area.

Why??

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There was a custom in ancient Israel where a master would drop his napkin on the table when he was finished eating, signaling for his servants to clean the table.

The napkin was used, much like dirty laundry.

But if he folded it, then it signaled he wasn’t finished eating; he was coming back.

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Jesus folded his napkin. 

As the Gospel tell us, he “rolled it up in a separate place,” meaning:

“I’m not finished. I’m coming back.”

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I find it fascinating that yesterday we celebrated the birth of Christ – and today we’re celebrating the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Why is that?

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Stephen’s death is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the life of the early Church.

From the beginning, we see the faith of the Church is strong, but they still have their share of struggle.

Like us, these first Christians had to persevere.

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Most of us won’t find ourselves in Stephen’s position, being stoned to death because of our preaching.

But we still must deal with our share of struggle. 

Maybe the holidays left us a little bruised – we gained a grudge or lost our temper.

Maybe Christmas brought an unexpected bout of loneliness. Maybe we were pressured to ignore our faith in some way.

Stephen reminds us that no matter how strong our faith is, at times it will be tested.

It’s not a matter of if, but when.

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We, too, can cling to Christ and persevere. Doing so will lead to eternal life.

Saint Stephen, pray for us.