Coffee With God

Reflection: Luke 2:36-40

Today’s Gospel presents the character of Anna, the prophetess. Let’s try to capture the symbolism that Luke gives to this prophetess with messages for our life. She is presented as belonging to the tribe of Asher. It was the smallest and most insignificant of the tribes of Israel that had settled near the Mediterranean Sea. The land was very fertile and with material riches, temptations also arrived. And this tribe gradually mingled with the behaviours of the pagans. Although materially rich but spiritually superficial, they disappeared from the scene when the Assyrians attacked, they wiped them out and the tribe of Asher disappeared forever. Here Anna is presented as the faithful remnant of this unfaithful tribe. There is a message for our life: whatever happens in life, even if everyone around abandons their faith, remain faithful to God and wait for His promises, because the Lord is faithful to his Word. The evangelist gives lots of symbolisms to the figure of this old widow: she is 84; she has been faithful to her husband during the seven years of their life together. This number 84 is the result of 7 times 12: – 7 is perfection and 12 indicates the people of Israel. And in Hebrew literature, Israel is presented as the wife of Yahweh, the Lord. Thus, 84 years old Anna represents Israel, that now lifts the Messiah in her arms and presents him to the world – hands him over to humanity. Anna – now the symbol of Israel, and therefore, the bride of Yahweh, never leaves the temple because the temple is the house of the husband. She does not go looking for lovers, she has no time to waste, she does not go from house to house to spend the afternoon in useless chatter, in gossip, in slander… One who is in love with Christ, becomes like his spouse. The spouse lives in harmony with him in the temple fulfils a very important mission: to talk about him because whoever is in love cannot keep the joy to oneself; those who are in love with Christ announce him to all who need this light, to give meaning to their lives. This way of aging of this woman has an important message for us: When you have grasped the joy of being with the Lord, you never waste your time. Like this old prophetess, you are entrusted with mission of speaking about Jesus to all those who seek meaning and a joyful outlook for their life; You have a testimony to give, to the children, the grandchildren and the youth of the community, of a life that made sense because it has always been lived in fidelity of a love relationship with the Lord.