Anna the prophetess

Maestà: The Presentation in the Temple - Duccio di Buoninsegna

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

- Luke 2:36-38

For today's reading I am continuing with Christmastide as a theme, and I have chosen Luke's Gospel section regarding Anna the Prophetess. This reading follows the verses about Simeon and his beautiful inspired Canticle (see Nunc Dimittis - Simeon's Song).

I find these verses quite poetic, and their inclusion in Luke's Gospel a wonderful part of our tradition. First we have Simeon, who as an aged man has awaited all of his life the Consolation of Israel. We were told that "it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." So we have an elderly man, looking toward the light of the Christ, whose hope is fulfilled in the temple. And also in the temple is Anna, the subject of today's reading.

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years. . . Like Simeon, Anna is also aged. We are told "she was of great age." Also like Simeon, she is touched by the Holy Spirit - she is a prophetess. She fulfills, therefore, a special role in the great economy of God. Her age and her circumstances would deeply limit that role in human social circles: she had been married but seven years, a widow for eighty-four! Yet, Anna plays an important role. Moreoever, we are told she is the daughter of Phanuel. While we do not know about Anna's father, we understand the name, which means "Face of God." In the Book of Enoch, Phanuel is a name given to an archangel. And Asher means "Happy." So, with this brief information, in a setting in which all names are important and filled with meaning, we are given some great hints about Anna. And there is poetry in these hints, because from her external circumstances, the information we understand is quite different in contrast to these meanings in the names. She is extremely aged and hasn't been a part of family life for eighty-four years - and therefore not ranking very much in a social sense. She is of the tribe of Asher. Asher was considered one of the Ten Lost tribes of Israel since the Assyrian Conquest. So, given her personal circumstances, Anna is "lost" in terms of secular community life both as an individual woman and as a member of the tribe of Asher.

But if we put this information together, we are given a great picture of the reality of God's blessings and work in the world. The name of Phanuel, reminding us of an archangel called the "Face of God," gives us a hint about Anna in relation to the Gospels. In Matthew's Gospel, we are told the story of Jesus teaching His disciples to come before God "as little children" and practice humility before God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." Anna, of great age, is one of those who come before God in humility, whose angel always sees the face of "my Father who is in heaven." Rather than simply a woman of great age, Anna is in fact one of the "little ones" whom Jesus praises. And rather than being "lost" and without a family, we are told that Anna serves a great function.

. . .who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. My study bible notes that "God reveals Himself to those who do not depart from Him. This woman has served God for many years, and she is prepared to meet her Messiah. For the elderly and lonely who wonder what they can do to serve God, Anna's fastings and prayers are a wonderful example." Anna is a stunning example of how all belong to the family of God, an illustration of a repeated teaching in the Gospels - that those who may be excluded from the social structures are always included at the table of God, and particularly illustrated here, in the home of God. Anna has a function and an important role, and she is rewarded for this role.

And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Because she is there, always serving in the temple, she is ready for the great blessing, the gift of the Christ in the Child who is in the temple on this day of Dedication. Like Simeon, she is blessed with this revelation in her old age, and it gives her one more new and important role to play: she went out and "spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Anna becomes an evangelist, spreading the good news.

"Anna" is also the name "Hannah" in the Hebrew, and it means "favored one." So, Anna the prophetess becomes another "favored woman" of the bible. The Hannah before her was childless and well into old age, a beloved and devoted wife, when God favored her with her child Samuel. Mary's Magnificat, the inspired prayer that begins, "My soul magnifies the Lord" is a reflection of Hannah's before her. Anna and Mary meet in the temple, the mother of the Babe and the woman of great age who has served and waited upon God night and day. But in this scene, the Child becomes the Child for both of them. He is the Child that both of them have been awaiting. Just as He is the Consolation for Simeon, so He is also the good news for Anna. In this story, we have the good news for all the people, but especially for the outcast, whose shame consists in some form of social failure. As Elizabeth puts it, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." There is no "outcast" with God, but only those who are like the beautiful "little ones" whose angels always behold the face of God. They are the humble who serve, who have life and joy and consolation. The figures fill the bible in this image, from Hannah, to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, to Anna the prophetess. All find hope in this Child. All are a part of the love of God, and the work of the Spirit is evident in the life of each one. In the "greatly aged" face of Anna, we imagine the joy that lights her eyes, and the gift of Life Itself brought to her by the Spirit, in her life of great service. (I love the figure of Anna, with her hand raised and the smile on her face, in the painting above.) May we all live with such consolation, and the joy of that light, and her good news. The Gospels bring us the great stories of these women, and we should understand them for the great blessings and good news they bear for each one of us, and to all who "look for redemption" today.