“There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
- Luke 2:36-40
The prophetess Anna was one of the “anawim,” a term which referred to the remnant people, the lowly and quiet ones who simply waited in faithfulness for the Day of the Lord. We know nothing about Anna except what these verses tell us, but even in this brief description we learn the important things.
Anna was a widow. She had known sorrow, certainly, but she had not grown bitter. Sorrow can have different effects upon people. Either it can make a person hard and bitter, resentful and rebellious against God; or it can make a person kinder and more sympathetic. Intense sorrow can rob a person of faith, or it can root faith even deeper, helping it to blossom. We see in Anna a woman who loves God and who quietly serves Him with her worship.
At the time of the Presentation of Our Lord she was eighty-four years of age. Advanced age can take away the strength of the body, but sometimes it can do even worse by taking away hope and a love for life. But in Anna we see a woman who lived in hope and anticipated each day as a gift from God.
She never ceased to worship and she never ceased to pray. The years had left Anna without bitterness and with an unshakable hope because day by day she kept herself close to God, who is our source of strength and in whose strength our weakness is made perfect.