First reading 1 John 2:12-17
Observance of the will of God
I am writing to you, my own children,
whose sins have already been forgiven through his name;
I am writing to you, fathers,
who have come to know the one
who has existed since the beginning;
I am writing to you, young men,
who have already overcome the Evil One;
I have written to you, children,
because you already know the Father;
I have written to you, fathers,
because you have come to know the one
who has existed since the beginning;
I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong and God’s word has made its home in you,
and you have overcome the Evil One.
You must not love this passing world
or anything that is in the world.
The love of the Father cannot be
in any man who loves the world,
because nothing the world has to offer
– the sensual body,
the lustful eye,
pride in possessions –
could ever come from the Father
but only from the world;
and the world, with all it craves for,
is coming to an end;
but anyone who does the will of God
remains for ever.
Responsorial Psalm 95(96):7-10
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts,
worship the Lord in his temple.
O earth, tremble before him.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness.
Gospel Luke 2:36-40
Anna speaks of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem
There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
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Anna, the faithful prophetess
In today’s gospel, we see Anna, a faithful servant of God, who patiently awaited the arrival of the promised Messiah. Living in the temple, Anna dedicated her life to prayer, allowing her to remain attuned to God’s presence around her. Her deep connection to God enabled her to recognise the signs of His coming and to listen attentively as He revealed Himself through various events and people. When she encountered baby Jesus, she instantly recognised Him as the long-awaited Messiah, fulfilling her hopes she had clung to for so long. Anna’s story reminds us of the importance of faith, patience and discernment as we seek to understand and celebrate God’s unfolding plan in our lives.
As we pray with the gospel passage, we are also invited to slow down and make a conscious effort to see God in the faces of people we encounter and in the everyday situations we find ourselves in. Each of these moments is an opportunity to be with God.
Reflective question:
What is Jesus’ invitation for me in this time of prayer?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
