Jesus Is Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;^[a] this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.^[b] 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon^[c] came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸ Simeon^[d] took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Master, now you are dismissing your servant^[e] in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon^[f] blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵ so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna^[g] the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child^[h] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Never!

She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer.

We don’t have the words Anna spoke as we did from Simeon but we know she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all.

We are all called to be prophets by our Baptism, and should follow her example – first we give thanks, then we share the Good News.

We receive Jesus in the Eucharist, which means Thanksgiving, and then we are sent from here to glorify the Lord by our lives.

We know nothing about Anna other than what these few verse tell us but they tell us a great deal:

She was a widow. She had known sorrow, but she had not grown bitter. Sorrow can either make us bitter, resentful or rebellious against God or it can make our faith deeper.

It depends on whether we think of God as a tyrant or a loving Father.

She was 84 years old. She was old but hadn’t lost hope.

Again, it depends on how we think of God.

If we feel he is distant and detached, we despair.

If we know He is present and active in our lives, the best is yet to come!

Why did Anna have this joy and hope?

She never ceased to worship.

She spent her life in God’s house with God’s people. God gave us the Church as our mother in the faith. We rob ourselves when we separate from her.

She never ceased to pray.

Anna was without bitterness and full of hope because she kept in contact with Him who is the source of strength and in whose strength our weakness is made perfect.

Let us follow the example of Anna!

And may we never stop praying for the Church, the Nation, the World.

The sick, suffering, unborn and elderly.

For the dead and for our own special intentions.

hugs n’ blessings for all those who never stop showing us the way.