Contemplating today's Gospel: 200 priests comment on daily Gospel each day
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Liturgic day: December 30th (6th Day after Christmas)
Gospel text (Lk 2:36-40): There was also a prophetess named
Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her
father's home, she had been seven years with her 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.
Comment: Fr. Joaquim FLURIACH i Domínguez (St. Esteve de P., Barcelona, Spain)
She gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all
Today, Joseph and Mary have just celebrated the presentation rites of their first-born, Jesus, at the Temple in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph observe what the law says, because doing what God wants is a sign of faithfulness and love for God.
Since their Son —and God's Son— was born, Joseph and Mary have experienced surprise after surprise: the shepherds, the three wise men, angels... Not only external extraordinary events, but also interior ones, in the heart of people who have had some sort of contact with the Child.
Today Anne turns up. She is an elderly widow, who at a given moment decided to devote all her life to the Lord, with fasts and prayer. We are not making a mistake when we say that this woman was one of the “prudent virgins” of our Lord Jesus Christ's parable (cf. Mt 25:1-13): always faithfully watching over what seems to be God's will for her. And of course: when the moment comes, the Lord finds Her ready. The Boy fully rewards her for all the time she has dedicated to the Lord. Ask her; ask Anna if so much prayer, fast and generosity was worthwhile!
The text reads that «she gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem» (Lk 2:38). Joy turns into determined apostleship: it is cause and effect. The Lord is infinitely generous with those who are generous with him.
Jesus, God incarnate, lives a family life in Nazareth, like in all families: growing, working, learning, asking, playing... «Holy and daily routine», where the souls of men grow stronger almost without realizing of it. How important the little things of every day are!