The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
The saints of the Church are inspirations to us. Their lives give witness to a sold-out commitment to Christ, selfless sacrifice, humility, love for neighbor, generous yeses, lifestyles of prayer. We can look to them as models for our own lives. Sometimes, however, we can easily become discouraged by falling into comparisons. We place the saints on pedestals and revere them as super-heroes. They can seem so other-worldly that we despair of ever approximating such lives of faith. At first glance, Anna, whom we meet in today’s Gospel, might seem like that. Such a super-saint was she that she never left the temple, devoting the entirety of her life to worship, fasting, and prayer. Intimidating? Perhaps. But I believe we can emulate Anna in very practical ways and adopt her lifestyle more easily than we might think. That lifestyle of living in God’s presence positions us to be able to more readily recognize Christ whenever and wherever and in whomever he enters our daily lives. Let’s press into the possibility of becoming more like Anna today.
The Word says, “She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer.” The temple, in the Jewish tradition, represented the presence of God. Much more than simply a building where people gathered for worship and prayer, the temple symbolized God’s dwelling with and among the people. Fast-forward to Christ’s coming – John writes in his Gospel, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Literally, that verse reads, “tabernacled among us.” What was only symbolized previously becomes real and palpable to us in the Incarnation of our Lord. Now, the dwelling of God, the tabernacle, the temple is within and among us. Returning then to Anna and her witness – Anna never left the temple. Likewise, we are never outside or removed from the One who tabernacles among us! Anna never left the presence of God; we never leave the presence of God. God is always with us as Emmanuel.
We can follow Anna’s example by practicing the presence of God. God’s presence is not something we have to go looking for or work to try to grasp or enter into. Jesus promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). God is ever-present to us through the Holy Spirit by virtue of Christ’s coming and redemptive work. Abiding in God’s presence simply takes practice in cultivating awareness. It’s a mindfulness moment-by-moment that God is in me and I am in God. To “never leave the temple” is to be conscious as I go about my day that I do so very deeply and intimately in the presence of God. Not a second of the day goes by apart from God, but if I live my life unconsciously then I will be somewhere else in my mind and my heart. Absent in the mind or heart, I am oblivious to the reality of God’s presence. Just as Anna chose to remain in the temple, we can choose to be awake, highly conscious, to our position within God’s presence.
Because Anna consciously lived in God’s presence, she recognized Christ when he entered the temple with his parents. Imagine the throngs of people coming in and out of the temple – hundreds of people, countless families, as happened day after day after day while she prayed. But because prayer and presence made her hyper-receptive, she recognized Christ in the midst of the masses. She was able to speak about him and encourage and inspire many people because she was available and awake to God. Living in presence heightened her receptivity to the divine. We, too, can live like Anna, more in tune with Christ.
Perhaps today can be the start to a more present life. Find ways that work for you to remind yourself to live present to God, present to yourself, and present to those around you. As you drive your car, bathe the dog, FaceTime with friends, do your work, make your grocery list, read the news, take a walk – do so mindful of God’s presence. As you cultivate this lifestyle, you’ll be amazed how your peace and joy increase and how incredibly the spiritual eyes and ears of your heart become more receptive to Christ.
- Elizabeth Wourms