Homily for the 6th Day in the Octave of Christmas

The elderly widow Anna is yet another very faithful person featured in the opening two chapters of the Gospel of Luke. Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Simeon are other examples of people of strong and active faith.

What distinguishes Anna from the others is her age — eighty-four years old — and the fact that she never left the Temple; she stayed there, day and night, in prayer and fasting.

Usually, when we think of ways of serving God, it is through some activity for others: visiting the sick or elderly, bringing them food, or taking care of other needs. Anna served God by remaining in the Temple, praying and fasting. By her life of prayer and fasting in the Temple, she was a powerful witness of God’s activity to others.

When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple, Anna praised God and spoke about the Child to all who looked forward to salvation. Anna’s prayer and fasting, and sharing the story of Jesus, made her a great witness to what God was doing in our world.

Anna’s life of prayer reminds us that there are many ways that we can serve God; one of the most vital ways is by our prayer. In prayer, we surrender ourselves to God. Such service of God will empower us, as it empowered Anna, to be witnesses to God’s presence and activity to all who are still longing for God’s coming.+