Anna, the Prophetess: Waiting for Redemption
December 30, 2024 - Monday, the Sixth Day of Christmas Octave
1 John 2:12-17; Psalm 96:7-10; Luke 2:36-40;
What strikes us in today’s Gospel is the detailed description of Anna, the prophetess. Her role in the narrative is significant, and her story offers us much to reflect upon. Anna is not just an ordinary woman; she is a prophetess, a rare title in the Old Testament. In fact, there are few prophetesses mentioned in Scripture. Miriam, the sister of Moses, Deborah from the Book of Judges who led the Israelites to victory, Huldah who foretold the destruction of Jerusalem under King Josiah, and the wife of the prophet Isaiah are among them. Like these women, Anna, too, has a unique calling: she speaks about the child Jesus to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The meaning of Anna's name—"favor" or "grace"—is significant, and it resonates with the Hebrew name Hannah, which was borne by the mother of the prophet Samuel. In Luke’s Gospel, Anna is described as the daughter of Phanuel, a name that calls to mind Penuel, the place where Jacob wrestled with a divine figure and received a blessing (Gen 32:30). The name Penuel means “face of God,” and it is no coincidence that Anna’s life and mission are so closely linked to the face of God in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15).
Luke further emphasizes Anna's connection to God's plan by telling us she was from the tribe of Asher. This is particularly poignant because the tribe of Asher is one of the ten lost tribes of Israel, lost after the Assyrian invasion in 721 BC. The people of Asher had been dispersed, but the prophet Jeremiah spoke of a time when God would gather the lost tribes of Israel and bring them back to their land (Jer 30:3). Anna, as a representative of these lost tribes, symbolizes the fulfillment of God's promise to restore Israel. But, at the same time, her desire to share the Gospel with all awaiting God's redemption calls all the nations to glorify God: "Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise" (Psalm 96:7).
Anna’s life, marked by grief and waiting, provides a deep spiritual insight. She was married for seven years but, following her husband's death, was widowed for eighty-four years. The number seven in Scripture often symbolizes completeness or wholeness, and Anna’s seven years of marriage without children seem to represent a period of unfulfilled expectation. Then, for eighty-four years, she lived in widowhood—a time of loss and sorrow, perhaps a symbol of Israel's long period of waiting for the Messiah. Yet, the waiting is not in vain, for Anna finds consolation in the presence of the Redeemer. Isaiah prophesied, “You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood” (Is 54:4). For Anna, this prophecy is fulfilled as she gazes upon the child Jesus. Her waiting is over, and the Redeemer is finally here.
As we reflect on Anna’s life, we are invited to consider our own waiting. In the passage from 1 John 2:12-17, we are reminded of the transient nature of worldly desires. John contrasts the fleeting nature of the world with the eternal promise of God's love, urging us to live in alignment with God’s will. Just as Anna waited in faith for the fulfillment of God’s promises, so too are we called to resist the distractions of the world and focus on the eternal life found in Christ. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). Anna’s devotion to God and her recognition of Jesus as the promised Redeemer challenge us to live with similar faith and hope.