How will we know the will of God for us let alone do it when most of us are so distracted by the cares and lures of the world? One of the biggest distractions since it is now so easily available on mobile phones as well is television and movies. Games too! There never seems a good time to pray or read and dwell on the Word but there is always time for the above distractions. Afterall we need to de-stress! Some how the most effective way to do so is not as appealing. Until such time we wake up to realise that we are not of this world and that we are all on a pilgrim journey back to home to the Lord our God, we will lead discontented, unfulfilled lives!
For Jesus alone offers the fullness of life! And there are many men and women who have dedicated and devoted their lives to the service of God and their brethren who can attesr to this. They indeed live life to the full! And just like Anna in today’s Gospel, they praise God and speak the wonders of His love through both their lips and their hands.
Let us offer a prayer for all the Annas in our churches who have dutifully served often quietly in the background day in and day out. Amen
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.
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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