Devoted to Jesus like Prophetess Anna!

Saturday, December 30, 2023

1 Jn 2:12-17; Lk 2:36-40

Another important figure in the Christmas octave is Anna. 

Luke records Anna as a prophetess. 

Like Simeon, Anna too eagerly awaited the Lord’s coming. 

Highlighting Anna’s holiness, Luke writes that the elderly widow ‘never left the temple’ and ‘worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer.’

Anna lets her holiness be seen in three ways. 

1.Anna thanks the Lord for the revelation of the Messiah. In her holiness, Anna praises and thanks God for the revelation of Christ which she considers a spiritual privilege. Hence, gratitude to God is a natural feeling in her. If we recognize God’s actions in our lives, gratitude will be our natural response.  

2. Anna proclaims the Lord. Besides thanking God, Anna ‘spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.’ Once she meets with Jesus, Anna cannot contain the joy within herself and makes an immediate proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah. Anna realizes that her spiritual privilege is meant to be shared with all, and her deed is an example of how any spiritual gift cannot be a selfish possession. Here, Anna shows what real evangelization means. 

3. Anna helps us understand the real meaning of ‘encounter.’ A spiritual encounter is life-transforming, and Anna stands as the proof of the truth. Her life was spent waiting for the Lord. When the wait was over, she was not only transformed but also set out to transform everyone. What a beautiful way to actualize the spiritual gift!

Devotion to Christ is Anna’s message for us. Let us imitate her model!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar