The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
We’re all familiar with hearing about the Presentation of the Lord during the Christmas season, and always when we pray the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Along with Simeon, there was an elderly woman present when Mary and Joseph arrived in the Temple of the Lord on the fortieth day after Jesus’ birth. That woman was the prophetess Anna, a widow estimated to have been around 84 years old. If you were asked to reflect on Anna, what characteristics would you use to describe her? She was faithful and hopeful. She faithfully waited for the coming of the Messiah to the Temple. Anna was holy. She adored the Lord’s house and desired to always be nearby. She never left the Temple. She was a person of great self-denial. She prayed and fasted day and night. Anna was evangelical. She spoke to all travelers about the child. She was joyful. Her joy was truly reflective as it danced in her heart, proclaiming the good news of the Messiah. Today we are two days shy of the start of the new year, 2022. This is the time of year when many take on New Year’s resolutions. We are all so familiar with the popular resolutions; none need to be mentioned. As 2021 comes to an end, ponder the following questions for the New Year: How can you be more like the prophetess Anna in your daily work and personal life? Imagine living your life with faith and hope, not knowing the exact day good news is to arrive, but in constant preparation for its arrival in the temple of your heart. What would that look like? What would it feel like? It truly is a full surrender in a time of uncertainty as we shift and pivot to what comes our way. Could this truly be the secret of how Anna lived 84+ years? Karen Candelas serves as the Gabriel Project Coordinator of the St. Gabriel’s Pregnancy and Parenting Program of Catholic Charities of Central Texas.
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