Lectionary # 204. Sixth Day within Octave of Christmas

Scripture: Dec. 30...sixth day within Octave of Christmas, 2008: I John 2:12-17. Psalm 96:7-8.8-9.10. Luke 2:36-40: Lectionary # 204: Luke ends his Infancy Narrative with today's selection. The following verses belong more to the young manhood of Jesus as he remains in the temple discussing and asking questions of the teachers of the Torah. He is now a son of the covenant (Ben Brith). Anna occupies the Gospel for today and she, like the others mentioned thus far, are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Everyone coming to the temple is experiencing the Spirit in the Infancy Gospel of Luke, chapters one and two. Anna, the prophetess, is the oldest among the characters mentioned; she offers us an example of how to grow old through the grace of God. She has cooperated with these God-given favors throughout her life. Eighty-four has been mentioned in the text and one of the early commentators on this event (the Hypapante) uses Psalm 84 to describe her spirit and her devotion. Luke tells us,"She was constantly in the temple worshipping day and night in fasting and in prayer." All of us have probably seen such devotion to God in our grandmothers who quietly said prayers from a small devotional book with a black cover. It was worn with the warmth of the hands that held it and showed the years with its fading print and pages. These grandparents also went to Mass frequently; some of the former generations even went to two Masses! Like Anna we often could confide in them and feel loved by them. Their lives were or are filled with wisdom, generosity, thankfulness, and hospitality. Anna offers her own praise for the baby Jesus and is for us a marvelous model for silent prayer and thankfulness during this season of love seen in the birth of Mary's baby named Jesus. Perhaps, as the Gospel tells us, we like Jesus have grown older in wisdom and grace; size and strength. Some of us may only have memories of our grandparents and we cherish them and think of them often. It is Luke who helps us to keep such consoling recollections of them by giving us the story of Anna. We again admire her fidelity and her love of God. We pray that like her that we too may grow into more wisdom and grace before God. Ever mindful of the scene Luke narrates we may wish to think of the fourth mystery of the rosary based on his account: "The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple." In an older formulary of prayer once used by the Society of Mary the mysteries of the rosary are given the desired graces or fruits of the mystery. For the fourth mystery of the joyful set it is entitled, "Fruit of the Mystery: Obedience." In biblical words that means "paying attention to God's words and voice with a listening heart." Amen.