husband; and since then, she had been continually about the temple, serving God, as a widow,
night and day, in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave
praise to God, and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their
town, Nazareth in Galilee. There, the child grew in stature and strength, and was filled with
wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.
Reflect
The first reading cautions various groups of people about the allure of evil and of worldly
pleasures. It is easy to get caught up in the world’s way of thinking instead of God’s way.
The world encourages us to look out for ourselves and to protect our own interests. God’s
way asks us to lay down our lives in loving service of our brothers and sisters. The world
teaches us to acquire more and more, but God calls us to give more and more. The world
values things over people, but God loves the children he has called into being and asks us
to share that love.
Anna offers an example of how we are to live. Widowed after seven years of marriage, she
devotes herself to a life of prayer and fasting. She left behind the world’s concerns and
focused all her energies on God. Encountering Jesus in the temple, she went on to tell
everyone she met about God’s goodness.
Most of us cannot do exactly what Anna did. We have children and parents to care for and
community responsibilities. But we can choose to center our lives on God’s way instead of
surrendering to the world’s values.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023