Saint John says in the first reading: “I am writing to you…children…young men…fathers…” Where are the mothers and the young women? I suppose they are hidden in the reading of the gospel of Luke and, more specifically, in the reference to Anna, the prophetess, wife, and widow.

Generally speaking, the Christian Church has grown with the passing of the years and has become somewhat more inclusive and enlightened. So today, I write to you: male and female, but only those of you who are of a “certain age” in order to stay more narrowly in line with today’s gospel.

For our meditation, we are invited to look at Anna. We take our cue from the “Collect,” that is, the Opening Prayer in today’s liturgy, where it is implied that Anna was able to recognize “the newness” of the “Nativity in the flesh” and that she would be set free from “ancient servitude.” This is where we come in, all of us of a “certain age”. Remember, the text says Anna was already “eighty-four.” We do not all have to wait that long to begin to understand God’s plan and message. Already we know that Anna’s story is our story.

In her “old age/advanced years,” Anna was keenly aware that her faith journey was not over; every day, she prayed and gave thanks, never leaving the temple of her own heart. She knew and was grateful that she would be freed of her “ancient servitude(s)” that held her “bound”. Just like our old (ancient) habits, biases, and attitudes that bind us and keep us from recognizing the “newness” of God in the flesh of our neighbors, companions, fellow sojourners, and situations and events.

Let us pray:

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the newness of the Nativity in the flesh of your Only Begotten Son may set us free, for ancient servitude holds us bound beneath the yoke of sin. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect of the day)