The Sixth
Day in the Octave of Christmas
December 30, 2015 8:30am
A woman named Anna is at the
center of today’s gospel reading.
This is the only place Anna is
ever mentioned in the gospels, but in these few verses we can get some insight
into her and a lesson for ourselves.
First, Anna has been widowed for
many years – probably about sixty years.
She knows hardship and sorrow,
but she has not grown negative.
Instead, she comes across as a positive
and peaceful person.
She has dealt well with adversity.
Second, Anna is old – 84
years-old – but she has not lost hope.
I think that sometimes age can
take away not just the strength of our body, but also the strength of our
spirit, but not with this woman Anna.
Luke says that she still gives
thanks to God and looks forward to the one who will be a savior for God’s
people.
Perhaps the reason for Anna’s
peacefulness and hope is her perseverance.
The gospel says, probably a bit
of an exaggeration, but it says “She
never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer.”
It’s easy to pray when we feel
like it.
But Anna apparently just prays
day in and day out, when she feels up and when she feels down, no matter what.
And that perseverance in praying
has some payoffs for her: inner peacefulness, hope for the Savior, and now even
insight to be able to identify the Savior in the child Jesus.
So, this simple, elderly, widowed
woman is quite a good example for us.
Steady, faithful, persevering
prayer – tending our relationship with God every day, no matter what – this can
also help us to have peace, to have hope, and to have insight into how God is
present to us now and what God wants us to do.
Anna is a good figure for us.
