Saturday December 30, 2017
The name Anna comes from the Hebrew word Hannah which means “grace.” Indeed, Anna was a woman full of grace, for she was able to see what generations had longed for. She spent her remaining years ever since she turned a widow—possibly 60—in singular devotion and adoration of God. Luke presents her as a prophetess, almost on par with Simeon. Like Simeon, she gives praise and thanks to God. She goes around and shares the news about the birth of the divine child with all those who had been longing for the deliverance of God’s people.
By bringing Anna onto the scene, Luke wants to present the universality of salvation brought through the person of Christ. Christ is not only for the rich and the learned, but for the poor, the widowed, the shepherds, and everyone else on the margins as well. God is the God of all. Luke also tells us that the child Jesus returned with his parents to his native village and lived there among his people. With God’s grace upon him, the Graced One lived in their midst as one of them.
